The Legend of James
by Caasi
Summary: When Leviathan attacks a shelter in his raid of Brockton Bay, he awakes a new enemy. James Flores, from within the scared crowd, is saved by the avatar state, facing off against the water titan with the power of the four elements.
1. Prologue Part 1: Awakening

A/N: Few notes I have before you start reading, although you are entirely free to ignore the and follow on with the story. Most of worm and avatar stories start the same way. It's a grinding fest where both main characters have to learn how to use their powers, takes too long to go anywhere because there's no actual plot, and dies before there's even a decent fight. Well, there you go. Here you have a story that takes that habit right out of the window. Killing two birds with one stone.

Well, sorta. Whether or not I have written a decent fight is up for debate, but at least I got to the leviathan fight. Relatively speaking, few manage to get that far, even if I cheated. Anyway, there you. The avatar, after all, doesn't need to master the four elements to enter the avatar state.

Also, since the avatar is lost in the avatar state, we aren't able to see the fight through his eyes. Skitter and Dragon will do the favor of witnessing the battle for us. Enjoy.

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* * *

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My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, when people didn't run around in latex costumes, colored masks, dressed up as their alter egos they had made up a night ago. It was a time when people took the fight by and to themselves. An age where wars were fought by those unmasked, the common men, women, and if the need arose, children too. A time where each and every citizen struggled with purpose, when their contribution was indeed what made every effort, every mission, and every task possible to be surpassed.

A few decades ago everything changed. A golden man brought down a new era, one where some individuals had naturally a much greater power over others than most. An era that simply turned everything humanity had fought for back on its tracks. Now, some people were special. 'Capes' as they to themselves. Some behaved even like royalty despite everything our ancestors had done in history to put down the right of might. But a force of nature came to balance their egos, to shift the scales and put those blessed with power on their knees. Shame it took us mortals down with them.

The Endbringers.

And when Leviathan came to our home, Brockton Bay, little did I know everything was about to change once again.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

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* * *

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-Isabella Flores

" _Please, move calmly and in orderly fashion to the closest—"_

Th sirens were loud, and as we got closer to another shelter, we started hearing the policemen trying to control the pace of the crowd. My brother, James, and I had been to two shelters already, and just like many of the people around us, we were getting scared shitless, afraid of being left out as most spot were being filled out quicker than we could reach them. Half an hour ago, the clouds cold be seen in the horizon, but now, they were all but upon us. The clock was ticking, I could hear it in my soul, its tick and tack slowly but surely bringing destiny to meet us.

The crowd jerked back and forth, people yelled as they stepped on one another, and my brother and I pressed our hold on each other's hands, so we wouldn't get separated. I could hear dogs barking furiously as the atmosphere grew more and more oppressive, people shouting and reasoning all the way they could to get on in the front and enter the library.

The shelter was, supposedly, beneath it. I wasn't sure, since I had never come to one of them. I had no idea, no clue on how to proceed, and my heart felt pressed by both my fear and hesitation. I didn't have a clue, and I felt lost. My brother, however, made sure to keep things going. He would keep pulling me along the crowd, but mostly in silence in the mist of the cacophony. He was too polite, too gentle to yell at others, to make up excuses as to why he and I should be let forward. And yet, he was doing his best to make sure we would make through.

He would look at me after every 20 seconds, look me in the eyes and make sure I was still there. He was so scared, but so was I, and I knew that he would look at me to find strength to press on. I couldn't feel more embarrassed, as I let him guide the both of us through a mad crowd.

The sirens continued, louder and louder as the air got colder. As the clouds arrived over the city, the sun finally disappeared, its last ray of light now kept away by what felt to be an impenetrable wall, a cloud so dark that you would believe there to be an ocean inside.

"Isa!" my brother looked at me, his eyes desperate, and he pulled with so much strength that for a second, I thought my hand would crack.

I jerked forward, and he took hold of me by my waist before finally sliding me across himself and putting me in front of him. Before I even realized, we had gotten to the main door, and James anted to make sure I would get in first. My body was numb, still paralyzed, only my legs working as my brother would pull and push for me in his efforts to stride forward one more step.

The ground shook, and with it, a loud sound erupted through the city's streets. The people around us shrank, and so did as we took our hands to our ears. Afterwards, chaos thrived. It made it seem the previous situation organized, as now people were literally jumping over the others, stepping over anyone in their path to get inside the shelter. Their faces, their desperation, the dread, the fright, the anger, and the rage. Families fought one another to get inside the building, children cried, and I saw couples lose sight of one another.

But my brother's hand held mine firmly. As if a fact, an unchangeable truth, he held on to me with such determination I knew I did no possess. Had this depended on me, we would have gone separate ways long ago. I didn't have in me the strength. Seeing people turn against one another, seeing society crumble as the masses became desperate—what was our world built on?

We lived in fear, every day, of an Endbringer knocking down on our city. Our communities thrived under the shadow of the colossus, our hearts skipping a beat at the passing of the clock, ready to turn against the whole world, be friends or not, if it meant surviving one more day.

I wasn't sure if the stress had gotten to me, or if it had been but the rain as it started pouring down. My cheeks fell the streaks of water sliding down my skin as I felt breathless. I wanted this all to end, I wanted this all to stop. I wanted to go back a day, tell my family what was about to happen so we could hop on a car and run away before everyone else.

Why hadn't we tried that today nevertheless? Just taken a car and leave the premises of the city? It seemed that the entire city had god damn gotten the same idea of sing the shelters, so were the main roads empty? Could they be?

I was shaken suddenly, my brother James holding my arms as he stared at me terrified.

"Isa, get a hold of yourself! Mom and dad probably made into their shelters, and now so we have too!" his voice was cracking, and half the words were jumbled in a mess. But he kept looking at me, while never stopping pushing forward.

I nodded perhaps too furiously, but I didn't have any control. I didn't feel as if I had any really.

We, that is, he kept pushing me forward and before I realized, we were at the library's entrance door frame. That was when we heard a voice out of the sirens, one that filled us all momentarily with dread.

" _Warning, this shelter is almost at full capacity. Warning, for you safety, follow Becken Avenue to the next shelter at its cross with Rudolf Street. Warning—"_

There were more screams, but now in the cacophony, we could hear the sounds of building being toppled off in the distance, together with the loud bang of waves crashing against the structure of the city. The clock was ticking—

And then, with no notice, I was pushed beyond what I thought possible. My brother had held on me and forced through, putting me at the forefront and letting me fall inside the building, him following right after.

" _Warning, this shelter is almost at its full—this shelter is at its full capacity."_

The shouting got even more violent, if that was possible, but it didn't matter. I sighed in great relief, and my muscles grew dormant as if a weight had been taken away from my shoulders.

"It's not over." James said in a whisper, as he took me, pulled an arm of mine over his shoulder, and dragged me along. We followed the crowd, finally finding the stairs, and we went down, step by step. The city would shake every once in a while, but you could tell that nevertheless the people here inside were obviously calmer.

Despite the nigh apocalypse, being inside a bunker apparently calmed people, or at least, they had tired themselves after the adventure to get inside the shelter. Quite possible, honestly, as no one seemed to have the strength to raise their voice more than a few notches. There were numerous whispers and mutterings, but that was all. People were sitting at different sections of the large underground room, and my brother and I found a corner to sit.

I was the first of us to drop on the floor, curling around my knees with my hands shanking. My brother kept himself standing for a short while at first, but eventually he gave in and he let himself rest besides me.

"You okay?" I asked him meekly, my voice barely registering even to my ears.

James nodded. "Fuck this."

"Yeah." I said, "Definitely fuck this."

"Mom and dad probably found a shelter, so no need to worry."

I frowned. "How do you know?"

He pulled his phone out, even though it had no signal. "Between the time they told us they had gotten to the shelter and the time we got in here, we would've received a message. They made it." He gave me a thumbs up.

"James," I whispered.

"Hum?"

"Sorry."

"You're welcome." Was all he said.

Time passed, and there we were for what felt like hours. Every second feeling like an year, every minute feeling like a millennia. Tremors would hit us frequently, but they were at a distance, we could tell. Between the sound coming from upstairs and feeling the shake, I could guess it wasn't close, or at least too close.

However, I felt my brother growing restless. His fists were clenched, and while before he seemed to be relaxing, he was now more agitated. His breathing grew ragged, and he eyed our surroundings with the utmost suspicion.

The ground shook and the walls seemed to quiver, dust coming out of the concrete over our heads. This time it had been closer, much closer.

"James, come on. It's fine." I told him. He nodded absently, an I felt the need to look at where his eyes were pointing. There were dozens of people around us, and none of them I could recognize. There were families, a few with babies on their arms, some with children between the age 5 and 10, and some young teens. Some old geezers around us too, but most were adults in their prime. Close to anyway. I wasn't sure I could recognize the difference between late 20s and early 40s or 50s. At least not now, when my head kept aching from the anxiety.

For some reason, my brother wasn't getting any better. His breathing was getting ragged and his lips were pressed thin. That was suddenly he pressed a hand on the floor, and he seemed to scare himself as he took it off almost immediately. He looked at his own pawn with the utmost awe, but at the same time confusion.

"James? You okay?" I asked him, and he looked at me with both his eyebrows arched up.

"Yeah, I suppose just some… old habits."

"Habits?"

"I'm not sure." He answered curtly.

I didn't prod further. In fact, I couldn't care to prod further. My head was only getting worse with all the stress built up and I dug my face on my knees. I just wanted everything to be over.

That was when I heard my brother breath in a scare. I looked his way quickly, and I realize some people close to us did the same too. He looked ghastly.

James whispered, "He's closer—"

"Don't scare the peo—"

The ground shook once again, but this time, the tremor and the sound were much closer. Much deadlier than before, and we heard the concrete crack.

Water started pouring in at no small pace. We both got up and the room was flooded, and suddenly, our feet were under water. Like we had gone back in time, like we were again in the middle of the crowd at the library's entrance, chaos returned. People were starting to shout, yell, and some went up the stairs, but it seemed the door had been jammed.

Others found cracks on the wall, the source of the water perhaps, and stated pulling some sandbags from god knows where, placing them one over the other in the hopes of stopping the leak. More and more people helped bringing the sandbags, and my brother made a move to join the effort. Against all my will, my selfishness prevailed, I stopped him from leaving me. I couldn't move and I couldn't let him go. He looked at me, a stare I felt to be painful to bear, and he stood besides me understandingly.

I stood close to him, my arm entangled with him as my panic grew, and he placed an arm around my shoulder. I leaned in and dug my face on his shoulder. I didn't start to cry, I felt like I couldn't with so many kids around me. I couldn't panic, at least not too hard, but as the water went up our legs, it felt like a harder thing to do.

"It's going to be okay." His voice cracked under the obvious dishonesty, and I laughed.

I'm not sure how long we were standing, having only the water height increase to tell me that our time was growing shorter, until eventually, we heard a loud sound. Metallic too, and before I knew people were leaving the shelter. Had the door been opened? Bugs had gotten in too, so that probably meant that it had happened.

People started moving out. Now, as I felt some good measure of relief, I got a better picture of those around us. The crowd had dogs and cats over their shoulder, most kids were being held high too due to the water now at waist level, while a few were on pajamas, and bathrobes too. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I let out a chuckle. The stress had clearly gotten me, but we kept moving, my brother and I, and I couldn't help but feel happy at the prospect of not drowning.

However, it was then that everything changed, and it did for the worse. As the dim natural light reached us, we saw what no men or women deserve to see up close. A creature at least 20 feet tall, covered in green scales and four eyes weirdly distributed around his face, and a tail as long as his height, if not greater. And the monster was close, until he got too close, and his tail swept forward with both the delicacy and precision of a whip.

The crowd at our left fell in pieces, and so did part of the center. People who were standing fell lifelessly on the ground. Screams took over as the survivors from the front line pushed us back into the shelter, but my eyes knew what they were seeing. My brother pulled me behind him, but he didn't want me to stay there. He pushed me with strength, and his eyes crossed mine. He was asking me to run, to use himself as a shield. And despite his pleading eyes, despite the order he had given me with his arms pushing me away, I stood firm perhaps for the first time since we were warned of Leviathan.

Leviathan's tail was coming back from the recoil, and the monster had his chest pointed right at us. With a presence of divine will, he put forward his tail once again in what can only be described as the last thing you will ever see.

I forced myself forward, the people running around us back into the shelter, and I hugged my brother, closing my eyes and, despite unwillingly, made myself ready for the end. Despite my shut eyelids, however, I saw something. A blinding blue light was all I sensed, as my vision was overtaken by its shine, and my ears were deafened by a current of air.

And suddenly, I wasn't holding my brother anymore.

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* * *

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-Taylor Hebert

" _Laserdream down, CB-10."_

The mass of civilians pushed through, screaming and shouting in panic, death staring right at them as Leviathan raised his tail. They trampled over one another in terror, and I wondered of how many more were hurt simply due to the stampede.

I was forced back, with no strength to hold my own against the furious crowd and I was inevitable pushed back against the cold hard wall. As his tail returned forward to cut down these people just as it had done so against many capes, to take the life of all the terrified men and women, a blinding light forced me to look away. But that wasn't enough. I had to put my arms in front of me, cover my face while my eyes were shut close as much as I could, and in a desperate reflex I reached out to any bugs around me, in the hopes of sensing what was happening.

That had been a mistake.

I felt them around, but just as me, they had been caught completely unprepared. They were as disoriented and lost as I was, and their input into my brain forced me to shut myself off from them. Consequently, I momentarily lost track of my bugs inside Leviathan's wounds as I closed my connection as best as I could.

And then the force of the wind came. Suddenly, even through my costume, I felt the air twisting, running away from my lungs as it rapidly gained speed, as if it was desperately trying to fill a vacuum. I too, I realized, was dragged off the wall as I failed to feel it behind me.

I dared to open my eyes, my arms still covering most of my vision, my hands in fists ready for whatever was to come. I mean, I knew I had no chance, not even the slightest against an Endbringer, but I wasn't dying quietly.

What I saw left me stumped, and I wondered if that was how those who first witnessed Scion felt. The light had dimmed, but it was still present, and colored our surrounding with a blueish hue. The source was none other than a lonely figure, standing between Leviathan himself and the running civilians. And was there someone else? Perhaps, a figure was on his knees close to him. Maybe a woman, though I couldn't make out details.

My vision was still disturbed, but I was able to see, to make out the simpler details. The central figure had a stance, one foot forward and the other behind, and his arms spun around his shoulders, coming together and finally, all that tension held in the air was freed.

As if the weight of the world had been taken of all our shoulders, the force in the air, the suspended pressure that blocked my ears and harmed my lungs was disheveled. The figure pushed his arms forward, and as Leviathan was ready to charge him, a torrent of air made itself real in front of all of us, pushing the very fabric of space forward with its momentum.

The vacuum it created pulled us all forward, but that hadn't taken my eyes out of what was about to happen. When Leviathan met the man's strike airborne, we heard the clash, and saw the result. The 30 feet tall creature was thrown away, crashing against the other end of the street and into the remains of a building.

Since I had been dragged closer to the figure, I could now make out the person on the ground besides, one of the few still living in a sea of dismembered corpses. A girl, maybe slightly older than me, but I didn't recognize her, and she was looking at the man, no, he too was young. He was close to our age, though it didn't feel like it, but his posture held on even after dealing the blow to Leviathan and he faced the battleground in front of him resolutely. If he was scared, if he was terrified, if he was cowered, then he gave none of that away, although having his eyes shining with light did probably wonders to hide his emotions.

Then suddenly he turned around, placing a hand over the girl's shoulder. I couldn't hear anything, my ears still ringing from his earlier outburst with air, but I managed to make out their expressions. He held on to a determined face, although now I could make out a frown, as well as and other marks in his expression that clued me, even without Tattletale's guess, that he was angry. The girl, in an entirely opposite fashion, broke. Tears streaked down her face as I couldn't piece out what was happening between them.

Moments ago, I had looked at the man as the second coming of Scion, but now I was faced with a crying girl, who looked at him so desperate. Did they know each other? Had he been a cape which had run away from the fight? Maybe she did not want him to join us against Leviathan, risking his life? I couldn't help but feel my temper rise at that thought, despite knowing I couldn't just assume such. Still, the thought that someone like him was hidden… how many lives could've been saved if he had joined us earlier?

Before I knew, he had jumped off the ground and out of the library, but this time, the air around him had been gentle, raising him above everyone else. With him out in the street, our surroundings grew dimmer as his blue light left away with him. I took look at what he left behind. A girl in a dark sea of blood, with twisted and carved bodies in the utmost immediacies.

I didn't dare to move, not yet, as I made myself aware of the bugs in our surroundings and checked the perimeter. After getting an acceptable number under m control, I crawled timidly, afraid of attracting any attention from the titans outside. Little by little, I made way, my bugs keeping me informed of the situation on the street, until I finally got into a better position to see what was happening outside with my own eyes.

The ground shook, and Leviathan jumped out of the destroyed concrete and onto the street, and like a Spanish bullfighter, the mysterious cape twisted himself with grace and out of the way as Leviathan threw itself right where his enemy previously was. He landed some yards away, enough that I couldn'y see him in my field of vision from the library. I hadn't need to worry though, because soon enough the fight returned to us much to my displeasure.

The ground under us rattled and rose up, and I saw the library slightly twisting as columns rose to meet the ceiling and hold the structure. At the same time, however, large slabs of stone were propelled at a low angle out of the floor and into the street, right at Leviathan. The man's aim proved true. Leviathan was readying himself for another attack with his tail, and probably didn't expect an attack from his flank when his opponent was right in front of him.

The stones hit him right at his sides, striking the monster with unimaginable momentum, and pushing it into the buildings at the other side of the street, buried under tons and tons of debris and rocks.

Leviathan, unfortunately, proved himself once again immensely resilient. Little to no time after being buried, he shot through the buildings, which collapsed in a domino effect as he no doubt destroyed the little that was left of their support and finally left my field of vision together with the cape. Afterwards, I could only hear the battle. Well, I heard both their clash and the sobbing of the girl on her knees.

I stood up somewhat slowly, taking care to not loose balance due to the fatigue. I realized that after this extreme exposure of action, it was a miracle I had left it unscathed, but I had made it. I managed a step forward, and then another, and then a third one. More confident on my ability to stand, I moved quicker. On my way to the girl, I saw the bodies of Impel and Apotheosis, and I took the liberty of borrowing Impels armband. I didn't think he would miss it very much,

Pressing it down, I opened communications, "Leviathan's just left the shelter at CB-10."

"Who's he fighting? And unmasked?" Chevalier replied.

I made it close to the girl, and although I couldn't be sure, it didn't hurt to ask. "Who's he? Who's the cape?"

She turned her face and stared at my eyes, her words difficult to make out among the hiccups, "My brother—is not a cape."

At first, I assumed her brother simply hadn't filled her about all details of his life, just like I had done with my father, and I momentarily felt the weight of guilt. Could I leave my father in the same state as this girl if I made him face the truth about me?

"Please, save him!" she shouted suddenly, rising and pulling me by my shoulders, and I noticed something was off. "He's not, there's no way!" the girl continued desperately.

No matter how different she was physically from dad, I started hearing his vice together with hers, hitting me with a wave of nausea. Was this what would happen with my father?

But the girl kept shaking me, "Please, you're a hero, right? Right? Please, be our hero!"

Her pleas shook me, and I felt her desperation, and mostly important, she remembered me why I had become a cape. Damn it. After all this time, joining the Undersides in the hopes of betraying them, doing the hard and dangerous work in order to save justice, putting myself at risk for what was right?

Wasn't this the same?

"I will." The words left my mouth before I could censor such ridiculous promise.

But the elation of taking up the fight, the good fight in fact, woke me up. It was then that I realized what had probably happened. The worst day of this man's life, her brother, the most despicable memory he would ever have, I had just witnessed it.

"Was his mask destroyed?" I heard the question again from Chevalier.

No. It was much simpler. After all, all of us capes had gone through this one day. Just like me back in the locker, I wasn't wearing any mask just because I had gained powers.

I pressed the communications button again, "He's unmasked because he just triggered."

"His name is James." The girl supplied to the armband.

I nodded to her, and I think she got the message. If I was to do something, I had to start moving. I left the building and entered the destroyed street, finding on the way every bug that was alive. I followed the trails of 'James' and Leviathans' fight with my eyes and a swarm started shaping besides myself.

I had a job to do.

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* * *

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-Dragon

I had made sure Armsmaster would receive as much help as he needed to not bleed out. Of course, he needed more than just that, but with resources running thin, I had to make sure he wasn't being prioritized over those who couldn't stand to be left waiting. At least for now. At the same time, I kept good control over the other teams. Many shelters were being faced with fluids, and now that Leviathan was busy, it was a chance to help those who weren't going to make it unless immediately addressed, and those were many.

With that being taken care of by a good amount of my 'person', I took another task in parallel, one that was both crucial to the present and immediate future. Being an AI really had its perks. My drones were capturing good data, of that I'm sure. The visuals were good despite the terrible weather, but the footage itself didn't lend itself too useful.

Leviathan had left the library, that much was clear, and the fight had been taken to the street, but I knew nothing else. The why, the how, the what, write down all those questions, and I didn't have an answer to a single one of them. The video streams I was receiving were the first step to uncover the mystery.

An unmasked cape putting up a fight against Leviathan.

…

…RUNNING SCAN ON COSTUME… NO RECOGNIZABLE VISUALS

…RUNNING SOUND CAPTURE ANALYSIS… NO RECOGNIZABLE VOICE

"My brother—is not a cape." It seems like the user hadn't shut off her armband, and the girl continued to plead. This was certainly useful.

…RUNNING FACIAL SCAN… CROSS WITH 'BROTHER' OF ARMBAND RECORDING… CIVILIAN IDENTITY FOUND: JAMES FLORES

BACKGROUND: 2ND GENERATION IMMIGRANT, AMERICAN

ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR STUDENT, BROCKTON BAY

APPLIED TO UNIVERSITIES, MEDICAL LAW—

The more I processed, the less it made sense. The kid was a good one, with exemplary behavior, ambitious, and a productive member of the community. Involved in fundraisers, voluntary campaigns, and all the sort of activities capes usually didn't last too long on. Activities which required finesse, patience, maturity, and most of all, to not be a cape. His profile was radically different from all wards, no matter how you see it. Mentioning how different he was from the typical underage villain wasn't even necessary.

I couldn't help but agree with the crying girl on the other side of the speaker. Her brother was no cape, and Dragon decided to tune in the conversation for more data.

"Please, you're a hero, right? Right? Please, be our hero!"

…RUNNING SOUND CAPTURE ANALYSIS OVER RECORDED DATA…

"I will." I heard the exchange, the promise, and I surely felt the conviction behind it.

…

CAPE IDENTITY FOUND: SKITTER

UNDERSIDERS MEMBER

A villain playing the hero. Certainly interesting, but then again, Skitter had done little compared to other villains. Then again, Endbringers were known to bring down events where capes, despite being the most afraid they had ever been, they also grew inspired. Even the most villainous parahumans had done their fair share of heroics against these monsters.

"Was his mask destroyed?" Chevalier spoke again.

"He's unmasked because he just triggered-His name is James." I heard Skitter and James's sister, Isabella, answer.

I admit, the possibility had gone over my head too. The information collected could very well point towards that conclusion, but I couldn't help on holding to some skepticism. I focused on my drones once again, which were diligently following the two characters of interest.

I tuned in just in time to see a strip of a street close to the docks lift off the ground. All around, the poles were going haywire, exploding in random succession, as the concrete further up. It gave you a perfect view of the underground. Pipes and other parts of the city's infrastructure were sticking out, but those details were quickly lost as the entire slab twisted upon itself, James standing right at the center, on top of what was becoming more and more like a sphere. I enhanced the image, I managed to catch a bit of James face, and I saw his glowing eyes with a bright blueish light.

It was really something out of a fairy tale.

Leviathan made himself noticeable right after. He jumped after across a few blocks of the city, showing a level of power unseen until this day. He managed to find a building on his path, dug himself into it, and used it as a ladder as best as he could.

The building itself was starting to give way, collapsing due to the shock of leviathan's landing and due to his forceful climbing. It served the Endbringer's purpose though. Before it was too late, Leviathan thrusted himself out of it, shooting itself and, by my quick calculations, putting itself perfectly on path to meet James and his globe of rocks.

And leviathan got very close, his claws already extending as he was about to touch James' platform, if not for the sphere to lose its lower half, which threw itself onto leviathan's path.

The shock was loud. The stone broke into hundreds of pieces, but Leviathan had been successfully avoided, the monster now on path to land back into the bay. It hadn't been a clean action, however. Leviathan had managed to throw at James a cutting ring of water from his claws, which despite cutting a sizable amount of James' top sphere, the kid himself had avoided it completely.

It was at that moment that I couldn't believe it. James was not a fresh trigger, and it would be hard to convince me otherwise, unless some unquestionable evidence was brought forward.

But at last, James lost the upper hand. What had been until now a advantageous fight, it turned suddenly for the worse. As Leviathan dropped into the water, the skies dropped with him. The rain above James suddenly shaped up to a millions of knifes, and the kid seemed to at first lose control of the situation.

His powers were still unconfirmed but it was clear that he had great control of the rocks and concrete even. Perhaps an affinity for solid materials? He had also deflected some of Leviathan's water attacks without the use of solids, seemingly affecting the water somehow to. Did he also have any control of the liquid?

Whatever it was, he failed to put it into use. You could see the rain at the top falling with much greater speed than the previous wave, and James hesitated, I think. I couldn't parse it out, but almost immediately, he sank himself into the stone right as the Leviathan's target hit where he stood a second ago.

James' platform started losing altitude quickly, and in mere seconds it hit the ground, falling over a vertical parking lot. The entire building, needless to say, collapsed, but a figure came out of the smoke, rolling out of the debris.

James eventually stopped himself, but he didn't end up standing. He was in the ground, plastered, but breathing. He seemed exhausted, and I had warned other capes to keep their distance until further notice. After all, James could be as dangerous as Leviathan. We couldn't communicate or cooperate with him, and his power seemed to bring a fair share of destruction around his person.

There was one cape, however, that had disobeyed those orders, and fortunately, had managed to stay within a good range of James. I kept track of her armband, one that did not previously belong to her, but she had salvaged it and made it useful again.

It was time to test the moral fiber of this villain. Did she have enough resolve in store?

"Skitter." I called, and I saw her stop on the radar a few blocks away from James. She was listening. "This is Dragon. I have a mission for you."

"Go on." The cape answered in a hurried tone.

.

* * *

.

And there you go. Skitter in the eye of the storm. Despite how much she complains in the original work, I can't help but feel that she likes it there.


	2. Prologue Part 2: Touch of God

Here it is. Have fun. I will fix the first chapter's errors in the following days.

* * *

Prologue Part 2: Touch of God

-Taylor Hebert as Skitter

"Go on." I managed to say. I was panting, a hand on my knee the other on the armband now around my own arm, inching it ever so slightly closer to my ear.

"I will be honest. It's a bit of a suicide mission, but since you are on your way already, I thought 'why not?'. Moreover, you're the closest cape with a useful power for this task—"

"I'm on it, Dragon." I intervened with a bit of frustration. "Just tell me what I have to do." I felt like Dragon wanted to be sure I was on board, and not just because of the difficulty of pulling off whether she had in mind, but because I was… well, a villain.

Did feel like she needed to convince me to save someone else's life? It stung. It really did. Heck, wasn't that why I had begun my life as a cape?

"Alright girl but keep running. You're about one minute away and Leviathan can make back to James in less than 15 seconds if he so wishes."

I berated myself and put my legs to work. I started running as fast as I could while holding my armband arm forward in order to listen to Dragon's instructions as the rain continued pouring down.

"Alexandria and Eidolon have landed on the coast of the bay." Dragon started, "They will hamper Leviathan in the meanwhile. You saw where James landed?"

"I have the gist. Am I going the right way?" I asked loudly, hoping my voice would get through. I then turned around what I believed to be the right corner.

"You're good." Dragon's voice came through with some static. "Follow that street, turn left in three blocks, and you will see him. Your mission is simple. James is on the floor, probably exhausted. You must help him. Get all the bugs you can and create different masses, dense enough to make Leviathan think they are a threat. James might be able to land powerful blows to Leviathan, but I believe he is no brute. He's as squishy as you, and Leviathan, by my data, seems to have realized that. One blow is all he needs to put James out of commission."

"Alright." I acknowledged, extending and pushing my reach as far as I could. I felt them, all the spiders, flies, mosquitos, dragonflies, every sort of insect. As if I had a switch on my head, I commended them, and quickly my surroundings started filling with bugs, both on the ground and flying. "So, I create a distraction?"

"Exactly. That's the plan. And whatever you do, make sure you and James survive for the next 5 minutes."

"Why 5 minutes?" I asked. I wasn't feeling like dying today after all.

"Scion has been sighted in Buenos Aires flying north. We believe he's on his way."

I felt showered with relief, that is, I felt like that until I turned left. I could see James a couple of blocks away on the middle of the avenue. Debris and chunks and concrete, rocks, cars and poles covered the also wet asphalt. The rain too didn't seem to be getting any better.

I was then hit by my fatigue, prodding the corner of the building as I almost lost balance.

"Skitter?" I heard Dragon ask. I gotta say, despite circumstances, the child in me felt some sort of elation of having Dragon mutter my cape name with worry, like she cared. Few people had cared for me in my life, so I suppose such little, and honestly insignificant show of concern felt like a win. I knew she was only worried about me because I was important at the moment. I hadn't mattered before, just as many other villains in the fight. I was just one more.

But still…

"I'm fine." I said, sounding surer than I actually was. I slapped my own cheeks and forced myself to make another step until I was running again.

"Where's Leviathan?" I asked Dragon, my voice somewhat low compared to how loud was my breathing. So much for my morning runs.

"Still in the bay. He's definitely up to something, but you've got two thirds of the Triumvirate between you and that monster."

I nodded as a reflex, feeling somewhat silly afterwards. Nevertheless, my eyes zeroed again on who I believed to be James, a single body lying on the floor in the middle of a cluttered wide street.

"Oh god." I breathed out.

"Skitter?" Dragon asked again, "What's his status?"

I kneeled besides the guy, who was on the floor belly down. I turned him around and took a good look at his face. I hadn't the best chance to look at him before, but in that single moment at the library, it was enough to skewer down the probability that I was wrong.

"It's him. He's breathing, but he's out."

"Damn—" Dragon started cursing, but what ever she had specifically said were lost on me as James open his eyes, both of his emitting a blue light. He grunted as he placed a hand over my arm and used me to lift himself off the ground.

"Apologize—" he muttered, his legs shaking from the effort.

This was bad. Like, very, very bad. This had been the man who, for a few moments, had gone toe to toe against an Endbringer. Now though, I don't think he would win a fight against me.

"It's okay—here." I told him, putting an arm around him under his shoulder and helping him stand.

"James?" Dragon asked from my armband.

"Who's this?" he asked, turning around and taking a look at his surroundings, "And where's the monster?". He was now on his two feet, but I still left my arm behind his back. I felt he would drop onto the ground at any moment, but I could still see in him an obstinate will. He had asked where Leviathan was fully intent in coming back to the fight. I felt small around him, despite managing to see that he wasn't much older than me. He was tops either 19 or 20 years old, and yet, here he was, facing Leviathan.

"It's Dragon—"

"You're a dragon?" he asked, and I was stunned at feeling like his question was serious.

"The tinker—Dragon." The armband told him. He seemed to take a couple of seconds to process that information. "Anyway, I'm one of those who are taking care of logistics. Can you still fight."

No. This man certainly couldn't.

"Yes. As ready as ever." He answered, and he proceeded to take my arm off him. "Thanks kid, I really appreciate, but it's too dangerous for you to be here."

I felt slightly offended, and yes, I know it was silly of me. But even if we might have drastically different powers, I wasn't that far off his age!

"We are almost the same age!"

He coughed, and I saw dust literally coming off his lungs. "Girl, I'm 110 years old. Everyone's a kid to me."

I didn't know what to say to that, and so didn't Dragon as she proceeded to take over the conversation. "Uhh—ok, that's a story we get to understand later. James, Skitter here will help you. Her powers allow her to create a diversion in case Leviathan gets too close to you."

I felt James eyeing me from my feet to my head, and although I don't think I had gained his approval, he didn't dispute it. I felt a bit angry at that, but it didn't matter. I came this far to be a hero, and no one was stopping me, and surely not someone I am supposed to help. Someone I promised to help.

"You sister asked me, and I told her I would, save you. Or at the very least help." I told him, and at that, I felt his expression grow less skeptical.

Dragon's voice came through the armband again. "Can you pin down Leviathan? Somehow with the rocks you've used before?"

"I can manage something. Where's the thing, 'Dragon'?" I felt some hesitation from James, but I couldn't pinpoint why. Wasn't he familiar with who Dragon was?

"The 'thing' is on the bay. We believe he is preparing a new attack."

"Does he only bend water?" James inquired.

"Bend?" I asked, and at Dragon's silence, I figured she was also interested.

James waved us off. "Control, command—whatever fits."

Dragon's response was immediate. "He can control liquid water at a large scale. Tsunamis and floods, for example, are his signature. But he lacks the fine control over it."

"Well, his authority still surpassed mine. I couldn't bend the water he had under his control."

"You can control water too?" Dragon prodded, but James couldn't answer.

The ground shook once again, and with the its movement, came too a cursed cacophony.

"Leviathan is planning on sinking the city!" Dragon warned.

"There's water under the city? Or by using the Bay?" James asked, but before anyone could answer, he kneeled and placed his hands on the ground.

"What you're doing?" I asked him. I couldn't help but feel that, if James wanted to go back to the fight, and he could still make a difference despite the fatigue, this was the moment. I had the image of my dad in my mind, of him in one of these shelters. Was his shelter sinking? Was he still safe? Could I have lost him already? What if I didn't even get to see his body, perhaps lost by now in the debris?

"I'm checking it! I have to go underground!" James exclaimed before looking at me and then at the armband, "Dragon, you said liquid water. Can Leviathan control ice?"

"Not that we know." I could feel that Dragon's response propelled James, who now was looking at me… wait, what you are doing?

"Brace yourself little girl."

The ground fractured around us in a circle, and we sank underground with enough acceleration to feel my feet almost peeling off the ground. We kept going down for a good few seconds before deaccelerating and coming into a stop, and I knew we were deep since I couldn't reach out, no matter how much I tried, to any bugs.

My stomach rumbled, and I felt nauseous like never before. The trip had been a bit to sudden.

Looking around, I also realized that the ground above us had been closed and the light was coming from one source only. James' hand. He held on to small and yet bright flame, which danced over his palm erratically as the ground continued to shake.

"I will need both hand for this, so its gonna get dark, but don't worry. I'm not letting you get squashed." He said, gesturing to the ceiling he had just put over our hands.

True to his words, and before I could even nod, almost total darkness came after he erased his flame. Now, the only source of light was his eyes, which still shone like to pearls, but their light only created a dim source. I could barely see him, but of what I did, together with my hearing, I saw him pretty much perform a dance.

His footsteps were strangely gentle amidst the tremors of the earth, and his hands seemed to swing as if the held on to something. The air around started circulating, as if it suspended particles were reacting to his actions, and I admit, maybe I was feeling something too. I sort of a 'prod' inside that I wasn't sure from where it was coming from, and neither did I know what it was about.

Although, as the shaking of the ground started alleviating, as my stress turned into relief at Leviathan's foiled plan, it started becoming clearer what this feeling was.

"What did you do?" I whispered as he brought back a flame over his hand.

"I froze most of the water. It seems that you were right, Dragon."

I raised an eyebrow. "She can't hear us down here." I said, my voice more judging than I had wanted.

"Oh-ah," he grunted slightly disoriented, "is that so, girl?"

"I'm Skitter," I reminded him, and he made confused face.

"Is that a nickname?"

"What you on about? It's my cape name."

"So…" he said, and his eyes were like two buffering orbs. "It's made up?"

"What sort of question is that?" Honestly, what was wrong with this guy? He was confused at cape names?

"Ok, whatever, I'm—ah, James—yeah, you are?"

I looked at him dumbstruck, not that he could see that thanks to my mask. "I'm Skitter." I repeated.

"That's just a made-up name! Aren't you a bit too old for that? Or is it like a war name? You sound a bit too young to be in the army though."

Between the nonsensical chat and the nausea, my temper was acting up. "All names are made up!"

That seemed to shut him up for a second as he placed a hand under his chin. "I suppose. Whatever. We are going back up. Get ready."

He told me to get ready, but before I could do anything, we shot up. Not that I could see well, since his flame was dead again, but the acceleration was a not so subtle give away.

"&*%(-I rep*-Skit—James, can you hear me?" as we returned to the surface, Dragon's voice started coming through the armband once again.

"We hear!" I told Dragon at the same time I managed to hold my stomach.

"Scion just passed by Miami. You just have to hold on for a few moments!"

"Tell me again what this 'Scion' guy does." James said after a couple of seconds.

I'm sure my face could tell him how much that question had left me speechless. Interestingly, however, Dragon didn't seem taken aback, answering James' strange question in a single breath.

"He can fly at super speeds, has enough strength to lift entire buildings, and he seems to have his five senses increased by two hundred times fold on average."

James nodded with a frown. "I guess that's a thing. Do we have communications with him? It would be great if he could the monster down. I think there's a way to stop this creature if only someone can immobilize him. This way I believe—"

"Alright, shit, sorry to interrupt." Dragon spoke, and I could feel the dread in her voice. "News for you two. Eidolon was somehow knocked out. Alexandria is retreating with him."

"He wants to have another go?" James asked Dragon, but she didn't have an answer.

Dragon spoke hesitantly, "Unclear. He managed to get away."

My hands found the sides of my head and my mouth was left open. We were so fucked, and yet, James had hardly been taken aback. Or at least that's how he made it seem.

"Guess it's time for us to step in. Track him down before he can escape." he started planning ahead full speed, but I was so stressed with our prospects of victory I needed to be sure he was hearing himself.

"James, Eidolon just got put down." I said in a strangely numb tone. He looked at me, his gaze strong. I could see he was hurt with at least a cut on his leg, and his forehead was covered with red sweat. Not to mention the decrepit state his clothes, normal clothes even, were. He had no protective gear, absolutely naked for all that mattered. "We must focus on salvaging the city. Save what we can, minimize the damage—"

"This city might well be gone, Skitter." James said, his eyes looking around. "The least we can do is take him down. He's done this to other places right? Killed millions?" James voice grew somber by the syllable.

I couldn't accept his words. I loved my home, even after all that had happened. Despite the bullying, despite the crime, despite the mishaps and wrong turns I had made, I had dreamt of a better future, where no child would have to worry about the same things as I did. "Not it's not!" I yelled, and I didn't even make an effort to stop myself, "I still gotta fix it! I still have to change it! Dad and I!"

I felt tears stream down my face, forcing me to stare down at the ground. God, Dragon was probably hearing it all, but I couldn't stop my reaction.

That was a dream of mine at stake. It hadn't yet been something I had taken as a primary goal, but it had been there, in the background, and it all started with minimizing Undersiders damage. A better city, in a nutshell, and having it taken away from me simply stole my dream from ever becoming a possibility. Furthermore, if it was really that destroyed and forsaken, what were the chances my father was still alive? What were the chances the Undersiders were safe?

"Skitter." James called my name gingerly, and I looked at him by the corners of my eyes.

"Again, have to interrupt." Dragon voice came over my armband, "Tremors on the 23rd Street with Jupiters Avenue have determined Leviathan's most likely path. He's coming towards you, kids."

The realization that this nightmare wasn't over yet and that we had still to fight Leviathan did wonders to restrain sorrow. I pressed my lips and nodded at Dragon's message.

James nodded at me. "I hope you know how to perform your job at distance. I can't fight and protect you at the same time. You must stay away from the actual—wait, what can you do?"

"Bugs, I can control hundreds of them." I said in one go, and I pulled my power. I reached to the thousands of bugs around us, recuperating much of what I lost because of our trip underground. Swarms of insects poured out of the sewers and various debris around.

"Fascinating." James murmured.

"I will use these swarms to distract him."

"No, not just that." James said suddenly, "Use them to block his vision if possible. Play as dirty as you can."

I felt my cheeks heat up. It annoyed me greatly to have someone telling me how to use my power, and honestly, I did have that in mind. I wasn't a complete amateur.

"Don't worry. I will use myself to my full potential." I said somewhat harshly.

The ground shook. Leviathan was probably close.

"I don't doubt that." he told me with a smile. "After all, you are clearly a hero."

I wasn't sure how to feel about the praise. I had done nothing yet. Was he pitying me because of my earlier outburst? I wanted to be a hero, had dreamt of it, but things hadn't exactly gone that way, but even then, he somehow made me believe his words, which only made it worse. I didn't feel like I was worth it. To make it more ironic, I was even worried about a bunch of villains alongside my dad. I was worried about Lisa, Brian, Rachel, and even Alec. It was tempting to ask Dragon about them.

But if we actually took down Leviathan, as James had put it, if we actually took down the Endbringer, then… I saw his point. Things would be better. If in the worst-case scenario, which is the total destruction of Brockton Bay and the loss of al those I cared, if Leviathan was killed—well—wouldn't it be worth it?

James must have been asking himself the same question. Like me, he has a sister around, one that too depends on the shelters to remain safe, just like my dad, and he had made his choice.

The ground shook again, this time twice.

"Skitter!" James called my name.

I looked at him startled, seeing through his bright eyes that he was worried. I nodded, turned around and ran opposite to the source of the tremors. I needed a vantage point.

"Skitter," Dragon's voice came through as I entered one of the standing building close by, "With Alexandria here, you don't have to do this."

The temptation of leaving was strong. The choice of saving myself, and of going looking for my dad and the Undersiders was unimaginably seductive.

"… _you are clearly a hero."_

I clenched my hands into fists.

"No, Dragon. I'm seeing this to the end."

* * *

-Dragon

"Alexandria, you copy?" Come on, answer, respond, anything! "Alexandria?!"

"Dragon, I copy." She said through her armband, and I could feel her voice plagued by exhaustion. "Eidolon is now safe. I'm ready to go. Where's Leviathan?"

"Coming to James, sending coordinates to you. The kid is back."

"Holy shit. Who the fuck—actually, it doesn't matter. In what condition is he?"

I didn't answer immediately. "I'm not sure. My readings of him have been strange at best."

The next time Alexandria opened her comms, I heard the wind against the microphone. She was probably flying. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Take it this way. He can take a beating."

"A brute?" the cape asked.

"I don't think so. He just thinks quickly on his feet and he also seem to have a plan?"

"Which is?" Alexandria inquired.

"He's asked for anyone to immobilize Leviathan. He believes that if such is accomplished, he can freeze the Endbringer."

Alexandria seemed to choke. "That's counter-intuitive, as you put it before, 'at best'! Can that work?"

"Well, it does seem Leviathan cannot control water in states different than liquid."

"You seem to trust this boy, Dragon." Alexandria spoke, and this time I could hear her clearly. By my maps, she seemed to be atop of a building close enough to see James as he waited for Leviathan. "Do you know him?"

"No, but he managed to stop Leviathan from sinking Brockton Bay by freezing the water underground. Ingenious, and since the Endbringer still hasn't left, we might as well try another one of his ideas."

Alexandria took her time. "Send a message to Legend."

* * *

-Alexandria

"Tell him what we are trying to do." I spoke over my armband.

"Copy that. Over." Dragon finished it off, and I heard the armband beep with the special comms message channel closing.

The day of today, I thought, was definitely destined to be remembered, and not just because of the cursed struggle against an Endbringer. Although, I had to admit to myself, it was getting progressively harder to differentiate them, these days of suffering and terror when we had to fight these indomitable beasts. They were starting to become so similar, so frustratingly comparable, fight after fight, battle after battle, failure after failure.

But this day was now fated to be remembered as the day Eidolon actually fell. I could picture the news tomorrow after we were able to make sense of all that transpired this afternoon. No matter how much we've hurt the bastard, no mater how hard we were able to hit him, he just kept going, escalating, strengthening himself.

It was absolutely infuriating.

But maybe, just maybe, things would change. I kept myself under control. Restrained my hopes, the hopes I've held for so long that one day we would defeat them.

'… _he also seems to have a plan.'_ Dragon told me.

Who was this kid? A fucking no one. A fresh trigger if what I heard from previous reports was true. How nonsensically it was for any one to jump into this hopeful bandwagon that today was a day we would make history? A day when an Endbringer was defeated? What sort of delusional madman would possess such confidence, such hope after some of our best had already been bested.

Because, just as Leviathan had been hit the hardest we had ever managed, we also had incurred a great number of casualties.

And yet…

'… _he managed to stop Leviathan from sinking Brockton Bay…'_

Had anyone ever stopped an Endbringer from doing something? We had delayed him, sure. We had driven him away, indeed, but only after enough damage was done. Only when the monster was somewhat satisfied. But what else? Leviathan, after all, hadn't left the city yet. He was still here, for whatever reason he may have. Dragon thought, somehow, that the Endbringer was interested in the boy.

Here I sat atop this building, one of the few still standing in this area of the city, one that had and still resisted the violence of this battle, fortunately close to where I knew this 'James' was. The cape with no secret identity. Was he even a cape, in the sense of the word? Maybe the Dallons will adopt him, I bet he lost his entire family by now in the middle of this mess. Make of him something proper if he didn't die today.

I couldn't place my bets on him however. Not yet.

From my vantage point, he was somewhat scrawny. No brute indeed it seemed. In fact, he seemed complete ordinary, if not his eyes. Two orbs of glowing light in a kid whose yellow shirt was in tatters and whose shorts had one of its legs missing. I placed some in front of me with my leg upfront, preparing myself jump down and meet him before Leviathan showed up, until his eyes crossed mine and I felt his attention on myself.

I don't know why, but that stopped me for a second. A good second in fact, as if I expected him to say something to me despite the great distance between us. He would need to shout, and honestly, I would need to listen, and I didn't tend to listen to a lot of people nowadays, and yet, he had captured me.

He looked away, his eyes now along the street, and he readied himself. The concrete was thrown high in the air as Leviathan himself raised his form from the underground, arms upfront with his claws extended, the beast was rushing James at a ferocious speed.

I extended my hands over the edge of the roof and pulled it, shooting myself down like a cannonball, my speed only augmented by my own ability to fly. The air flew around me at supersonic speeds, beating violently against my ears, but that didn't bother me. I was focused, too worried at seeing a kid being smashed by Leviathan, and I extended my hand into a fist, which found Leviathan at his would-be throat.

I smashed the Endbringer, pushing him as my knuckles dug as deep as I ever managed into his thick skin, the both of us soon sinking into the sewers of the street. Barely a second afterwards, Leviathan stroke at me. I don't know what hit me, if it had been his arms, legs, or tail, but what ever it was, it threw me back into the sewer as I made my way out of the hole, and soon enough I had one of his claws over my neck, and another digging besides my left breast. I felt the warmness of my blood pour out.

The moment itself, however, had been as quick as the time it took to happen. Metal sprouted out of the ground. Pipes and cables and whatever else this city had buried, its infrastructure literally jumped out of the ground, and as I looked at the creature itself, I realized he was being attacked from the upwards too. A building besides us collapsed as its steel beams were ripped out, shot against Leviathan, twisted after impact around the monster and wrestled against his movements, striving to strangle him.

I took the chance. I beat a fist on the ground to force myself up, my other hand holding leviathan's claw as to stop it from digging any further. I pushed. Raising myself up, I spun in the air and pulled Leviathan under myself, throwing him against the wall of the bowl we carved in the middle of the street.

Suddenly, thousands of bugs and insects of all variety rushed forward, putting themselves between me and the Endbringer, and soon after shot upwards, only to be squashed my Leviathan's tail as it threw a sharp slice of water at Mach speeds.

Skitter, if I recalled her name correctly, had used them as a decoy. I used the moment of Leviathan's confusion and flew to one of his sides, tattering on hitting the walls of bowl as I flew with a target in mind. Leviathan continue to struggle against the debris of metal, but he seemed to be winning the fight as piece by piece was thrown around with increasingly less resistance. Strangely enough, just a quick thought I had at the time, I felt the colder, as if there had been a significant temperature drop.

Nevertheless, I was tuned in, eyes on target. I flew low and quick, punching Leviathan with both my fists on his side, shooting him out of the hole as he flew over to one side. Before he even touched the ground again, a wall of rock shot up. It was thick, by a good few dozens of meters, and it was thicker than it was wide, but it did the trick. Leviathan crashed against and sank into it by a good few meters.

Now high in the air, I could see James from the sidewalk. He was facing Leviathan, his body in some strange pose as he centered his center of mass hunkered close to the ground, legs wide open. And then his form changed completely. He jumped high in the air, higher than I was at the moment before sprinkling on his feet a red-hot jet of fire and shooting himself towards Leviathan, still inside the wall of rock he had raised before.

At the last moment, he spun himself in a rainbow, raising one foot up high in the air and descending it as a large torrent of flame came down on the Endbringer. His overhead kick never hit though. Leviathan raised his arm quickly, jumping out of the wall and grabbing James by his legs.

I shot forward.

Leviathan was eyeing him with the utmost curiosity, like a dog before munching off his favorite bone, but I wasn't close enough. Knew that before I had even gone for it. James had overextended himself, and I couldn't protect him. I could se Leviathan starting to press his grip and it was a matter of instants before James' legs cracked under the pressure.

The boy screamed as one of his hands reached forward, finding and taking hold of one of Leviathan's fingers, if they could be called that. What followed suit was a blinding show of lights, making me lose my orientation and I unavoidably crashed against a pile of debris close to the Endbringer. As quickly as I could, I stood up and turned around.

There was James, limping on one leg as he seemed to have a hard time to stay standing, but that didn't stop him from… waving his arms. I wasn't sure what exactly he was doing, as his hands apparently took specific paths in front of his chest, and I wasn't going to inquire about it now. Whatever he had done, impressively enough, had allowed him to walk away with his legs, even if further hurt, and put somehow Leviathan a good 50 meters away from us, cowering on his four legs as the monsters had his face turned to us as a cat may have against the veterinary. The creature fidgeted, walking in a small circle in front of both of us, as if waiting for our move.

I looked back at James, spotting an annoyed expression on his face that only increased the more I waited. Looking again at the creature, I was ready to speak, ready for a quick exchange related to a simple plan of action when suddenly I wondered where Legend was. He should've been here by now, and that thought may have brought the hesitation that let James voice himself before I could, and with his words came a cold current of air, too cold for the east coast on May.

James first laughed, but there was no mirth in it as he gazed Leviathan, "I'm so close James. Please—"

"James, what did you do?" I asked before I could think. Was he talking to himself?

"James—right, I can defeat him. If we pin him down," he said, and his voice was tight, "I can still finish him."

We eyed the Leviathan as the creature stood its ground far from us, the air growing even colder as James persisted with his dance. Leviathan was probably calling a tsunami, but there was now something I knew I had to do, something essential that couldn't be ignored. I reached my armband and opened my special comms channel to cauldron.

I whispered, my head hurting just by thinking about the possibility. "Cauldron, James Flores—Master Protocol. Please advise."

* * *

A/N: Took a while. Battle ends next chapter, which will probably come this week still. I have the following three/four arcs planned, so things should start running smoother. First arc (this been somewhat a prologue) will dive into what means for James to be the Avatar in the worm world, as well as his relationships with his new found duty of saving the world. Something I feel like I should say in the beginning is that this story will have quite a few chapters outside of Brockton Bay, and a good number of OCs.


	3. Prologue Part 3: The Legacy

Notes: You will quickly realize (like, in the first paragraphs) that this story doesn't exactly follow from the last chapter. This, right here, is when we join James. I give some sort of explanation on why I did this at the end of the chapter.

* * *

Reviewed as of Dec/2020

* * *

The sea was wasn't just upset. It was outright furious. Its waves rose high but not for long. They built their height as they crossed the ocean, but in the midst of the many currents, and thanks to the encounter of other waves, the destructive and constructive patterns would raise some up. But all would eventually tumble as drunk giants.

Then the cycle would begin anew. They splashed against the surface of the ocean again and again, throwing drops of water and creating an illusion of rain. In this cycle of stubborn rage, the sky mirrored the seas. It was stormy, dark with giant clouds that refused to let their water pour down, and so they grew to the point the sun could not shine.

I honestly had no idea for how long I had been there, watching from both above and below the water line. It was strange experience, although the least of it. Almost as if I was part of the scenario, part of the weather phenomena around me. I briefly entertained the idea that this was somehow a trance, part of the whole 'losing your body to someone else' pack. The idea of being 'mastered', however, didn't hold a lot of weight in my consciousness. Perhaps that was an proof that I was indeed being mastered, but what could I do by second guessing myself in a world that could only be the result of a dream? Or perhaps a nightmare?

Yes, I did not think I was being mastered despite my complete lack of experience. There was just something about this, something I couldn't quite comprehend. Rare these moments in your life, I thought, and suddenly I was reminded of all the times religious people told me about their feeling of wonder towards the concept of faith. I never took that very seriously, but perhaps right now, it was my turn. Here I was, not standing, not leaning, just… part of the water somehow. Part of the world. Watching the sky rumble with thunder. There was something about this, something truly eccentric and almost magical which I would be foolish to ignore, and I couldn't just pass it on to the fact I may have smoked weed a couple of nights ago.

It had started when she took over. I knew what was to come in that first moment I was facing Leviathan, standing between the monster and my sister. When I threw myself I between, it had been less an action of a hero, one who defies the odds, and more the action of a mathematician. I knew I had cards to play. I knew I was different. I knew it all my life. And when the beast came for me, I just let it happen.

A presence from the beyond and my body started to listen to orders from someone other than me. I fought it out of a paradoxical fear, despite knowing that was my and my sisters only chance to live, I still held firm out of an irrational animal instinct. The mix of emotions that flooded me left me wondering if perhaps Simurgh had joined the fray, but the following seconds made it clear that it was all just me. No foreign interference. No external agent. No mastering.

I had questioned my sanity too, and not for a second I didn't have a little voice in the back of my head telling me I was delusional. That I was going to die anyway. That I was about to meet Leviathan's tail at a sonic speed. I was going to be spaghetti with meatballs at best. Moaned meat stew most probably.

But then I thought, "No. Our story doesn't end here."

I questioned myself over the use of 'our' in the following moments, but I found fitting for a reason cannot explain yet.

It wasn't just those ethereal waves that I watched. I also felt the real world, and I could look at it as an angel can look at both heaven and earth at the same time. Although, I am sure I was feeling a lot more fear for my life than an agel ever did. After all, I was still living. I could still access my five senses, some of which left me terribly dizzy as my body performed the strangest and greatest show of acrobatics I had ever seen in person.

There was no warning as to what I would be doing next though, and that nausea of being in a wild car ride in the back seat is exactly the sort of terrible sickness I was getting if I connected with me real body. So, staying cozy in the world of ethereal waves wasn't just for the poetic view. It was also much more comfortable. Ignorance was bliss, after all.

And yet, perhaps by a protective instinct, I had to look at myself to see what was of my body. I would shut off myself every time Leviathan came too close, believing this was the end, but somehow, I would reopen them and see that the fight was still going. Perhaps the 'our' I had mentioned before had been an acknowledgement of this entity I shared my body, which had indeed forced me to face down an Endbringer…successfully?

I wasn't dead yet, I supposed.

But I was so scared, and I won't lie to myself about it. There was no way to embellish my English, or to complexify the feelings of powerlessness that I felt. I was scared. I was facing down an Endbringer and his attacks with no authority of my own. I was forced to watch someone else dodge the inevitable, skitter around attacks that were performed faster than my eye could keep up, and in return, my body performed the strangest movements to damage the undamageable.

Eventually, I had to recognize that perhaps this venture wasn't a lost cause, realizing that somehow my body had been taken over by a thing that could indeed hurt Leviathan. Whatever resistance I had been putting up, somehow, I think I managed to shut it down then. I let it go for good. Maybe James was useless to fight the apocalypse, but this… something else. She could do it. She was pushing him back.

I drifted away then, accepting my loss and perhaps preparing myself to do so permanently. If this thing could keep my body, who would miss James? Who wouldn't want the new one, who can beat the crap out of an Endbringer?

I was lost in such thoughts or a long time. Then the storm disappeared. I hadn't realized instantly, numbed by the passage of time. When I came to myself once again, I was over flat ground, lying down on it with my legs and arms spread.

"Sorry for the wait." I heard a woman's voice. It was her. Somehow, I had known it was a she too, I noticed.

That was when I opened my eyes, rising my body slightly from the water and supporting myself over my elbows as if the sea was solid. She had blue eyes, and her skin was tanned—no, not tanned. Her skin was light brown, a natural shade. Her hair was cut short, wore a blue vest with no sleeves and a turtleneck. Her hand and forearms, however, were covered by tight cloth. She also had on her baggy pants and boots that belonged on cold weather. Something you would wear in the artic. I had the feeling she wasn't from around.

"I suppose you are the star of tonight?" I asked.

She shrugged. "That's one way to put. Couldn't have done it without you though."

I frowned. "Without my body you mean?"

She gave me a look as she approached me, "I think you know who I am, James." She extended a hand, and I understood she was helping me getting up. I took a second, eye her palm and herself before taking her hand and lifting myself off the ground.

"I… think I remember you. I knew you existed, but I can't really explain it," I told her, myself troubled. "How… why… what—what are you?"

She locked her eyes with mine, giving me an expression I could strangely read despite never meeting her before. Suddenly, I understood, but the knowledge forced me to look away.

"I really am you," she confirmed, "You seem repulsed by the idea."

"I can't do what you just did," I explained, "I'm not that kind of strong. What happens now?"

Korra shook her head, "Nothing comes free, James. You must learn, you must train, and you must live and experience. But you are fine with that, your character isn't averse to that sort of life—"

"Can't I just call you? Like, when I need help? When we need to save some people?"

Korra cringed, "I can't do this again, James. It would break you. You must prepare your body, and you must add knowledge of your own."

"That sort of life… that way of describing it takes a lot of liberties," I spat, sacred by the implications, "I don't know what to do with those powers. Until today I thought they were a figment of my imagination really. Part of dreams from my childhood, part of a young and fertile imagination," I said panting, "I grew up!"

"Maybe that wasn't growing up," she suggested.

"Not believing in fairy tales is part of growing up," I shot.

She shrugged, "Realizing there are some truths behind legends would be wise though, don't you think?"

There was a flash which forced me to cover my eyes. When I opened them again, I and the woman were in what now reassembled a desert. Instead of the typical sand though, we had the earth cracking with the lack of water under our feet.

She had her arms crossed, smirking at me as if somehow what she had just said nailed some kind of hypothetical coffin.

I huffed and turned to an opposite direction, starting to walk aimlessly in the desert.

"James!", she called, and I heard her steps behind mine, "There are always points in our lives when we fail to see our place in the world. From young to old age, there hasn't been an avatar who hasn't doubted himself. That hesitation, that very moment of doubt, however, is a mark of an individual capable of recognizing his own faults. But if you stubbornly go forward down a path that leads to lies, that leads to a comfort obtained by deluding oneself, then you accomplish nothing."

I came to a stop, "What you know about accomplishment?" I asked her sincerely, "How can those powers, which no one else has by the way, give you any sense of entitlement over your own deeds? You didn't compete with anyone. You didn't face the same challenges, and those you did were no doubt much easier, if not laughable. You have advantages that are absolutely unique."

"There's a duty that comes with these abilities," she explained, her expression unaffected by my questioning, but she was answering it though, "Power indeed cannot be given randomly, and your powers certainly haven't. You are right. The life of an avatar is different, and you cannot procure enjoyment and reward from the same experiences most people do. But you do come to face a different sort of struggle, one that I promise you makes your life worth living."

"How do you deal with it though, like, personally?" I wondered, "There are people around the world that pray to these creatures, the Endbringers. But you've put a stop to one of them," I said, memory of an iceberg flashing in my head, "Even if only temporarily, there will be now those that pray to you. That sort of powers makes you almost divine. You stop being a person, and you become… something else entirely," I told her slowly, fighting my way through my muddy thoughts, "I can't do that. I want to be normal. I want to have a fair and just career in public office. I want to marry. I want to have a family, kids. I want to have friends. But this path you are throwing me into… you are stealing my life from me."

The woman was silent for a considerable amount of time.

"There is no easy way to say this," she started, "Perhaps, it's a consequence of your world being unaware of the avatar, but you aren't the first avatar to raise this question. The truth James, is that you never had that future. You didn't receive these abilities now because of the monster, of yesterday, or the day before. You are who you are because of the tings you can do. Because you are me, because you are the next avatar."

Barely she had finished, I started walking aimlessly. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel, but I felt I was bottling something up. A mix of anger and frustration? Contempt? And yet relief?

"There are new possibilities, James. You can still have some of that life if you wish for it!" she said from behind me.

I stopped again, "Who would stand close to me?! Who would take such risks? Madmen would! Only the crazyiest—"

"And the most loyal," she whispered, grabbing my hands, "It's a hard road, and it can be lonely. In time though, stand by what's right and just, and those of the same caliber as you will come to meet."

"So, I pretend it's a risk they are taking if they do so of their own volition? Doesn't sound very heroic."

She shrugged, "No one can carry the whole world. Not even the avatar."

"Right," I started with a frown, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We are responsible for keeping the balance in the world. If the world is unbalanced, then we are to correct it." She suddenly told me earnestly.

"Sounds like something you need an army for." I thought out loud.

"Or the Avatar." She said nonchalantly. "Really, it depends on the emergency."

"You mean you can be some sort of one-man-army?" I inquired, one of my eyebrows rising, "Sounds like an awful lot of responsibility for only one person."

"You were watching the fight weren't you?"

I didn't answer immediately. "In the backseat. Yeah, every once in a while."

"You wanted to help?"

I shook my head, my voice dry. "I wanted to run. Fuck, I was so afraid."

The woman hummed in agreement. "But you didn't."

"I couldn't."

"You could. At any time." She pressed, and we looked at each other. An eerie sense of déjà vu was creeping out on me. Maybe something to do with the whole 'I am you and you are me'. I stil wasn't buying that completely. She continued, "There were moments there I couldn't have hanged on if you pressed it. But you didn't. You trusted me. You trusted yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?", my voice came harsher than I meant, but I felt so irresponsible given the circumstances. "For all I know I could've been letting a maniac take control of my body."

She placed a hand on my chest, "You knew you could do something, even though your world doesn't have the legends of the Avatar. And yet you still took action for your sister—"

"A gamble!" I yelled, and she didn't say anything for a while. Neither did I. We stood there in a desert I had yet to come up with an explanation for. There was no wind despite seeing the occasional cloud running by, and the sun, despite high in the sky, gave us no heat. I took a moment, breathed a couple of times and steadied my voice. Maybe it was time for me to let go a bit of my emotions and try to talk to her more reasonably, try to find out more.

"Are you supposed to be my past life? Is that actually what you think?" I asked her suddenly.

The woman raised her hand behind her head, shuffling her hair a bit. "I thought we had gone over this already."

I shrugged, "I'm quite the cynical. Why would I be special in that regard? Did I trigger? I read about those before."

"I don't know what trigger means," she told me, a hand on her chin, "But you are special, specifically, and by that I mean 'we' are special, because of an accident ten thousand years ago, when we fused our soul with one of the gods."

Pinching my nose, my thoughts went wild. I wondered briefly if she actually believed what she was saying. Some parahumans can be deluded by their powers, and this, perhaps, was my power deluding me?

But no, it didn't feel right to call this a cape power. I had been born like this; I knew it. I had childhood accidents and visions that I made my best to forget.

"I'm an atheist," I blurted out.

She smiled at me, crossing her arms. "Yeah, that's not going to last. I will concede to you though that you were right not believing the religions of your world."

"Sounds like what every religious person says." I sighed, "Well, I can't really call you James too, can I? Things would get confusing fast."

"Korra. Call me Korra," We shook hands, and I felt her strong grip. She punched my arm lightly afterwards, "You gotta get in shape by the way."

"Yeah, my sister has been telling me the same thing. My physique apart, I don't need to have a figment of my imagination reminding me of my own faults."

"Oh, so that's how you are going to rationalize this?"

"I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for all this. Am I not just then a parahuman?" I asked her, curious about her reaction despite my persona opinion. In fact, I was curious if she even knew about them.

"Parahuman? I think that was among your memories, but I can't really…"

"People with superpowers. You know. People who can shoot beam out of their eyes, super strength, fly—"

"Wait, people on your world have mastered airbending?"

I looked at her quite confused. "I think we would have to ask them. Anyway, by any chance, do you know what happened? Like, we just fought Leviathan, and you managed to do something. You fucking froze a tsunami, and—like—he's stuck inside that iceberg—how did you even do that? Doesn't he control water?"

"Let's go one question at a time." She said, a hand rising to meet her chin. "That creature had a surprisingly strong authority over the element of water, but not exactly over mine. Pretty much, which ever one of us took a pack of water first had it for themselves. I could overtake his control and he could do the same to me. He was, however, surprisingly capable of bending some of the largest amounts of water I have ever seen."

"Bending?"

"A way of saying you control an element."

Probably like she did with fire. The ground too, so maybe earth? Pretty sure the first philosophers, the pre-sophists I think, believed the world ran around the elements of nature.

"After figuring that out," she continued, "It wasn't hard to plan a way to immobilize him. The last-minute Tsunami though was a rock in our shoes. The woman, Alexandria, really helped there keeping the creature distracted. Skitter too even. We were lucky to have them both."

"And how's a fucking iceberg holding the thing that controls the oceans?"

"That ice is infused with a lot of our spiritual strength. It has, before, held an Avatar for a hundred years. I'm sure it can hold that monster for a couple months."

"Spiritual strength?" I held the sarcasm as best as I could, but Korra took notice and smirked at me.

"Your enlightenment will come very soon. Before though," she said, and her voice turned more serious, "James, there are reasons you must train and do this yourself. The takeover of the Avatar State was violent. Your body had neither the physical, mental, or spiritual training to handle the stress. And although spiritually you held yourself well, your other areas seriously need some revaluation."

I shook my head. "Even my power is telling me to go to gym."

"I'm serious." She told me.

"We've already discussed this. I'm not about to play god. I'm not rebalancing the world, Korra. I'm not a messiah, Jesus, or whatever the fuck you are telling me I'm supposed to be. I'm just one man, and that man wants a good life. Do I want to help people, sure. As many as possible, but not at the sacrifice of my own. Not because I'm special, but because no one can be asked to do such."

Korra messaged her temples. "Our soul is infused with the Spirit of Light, of Peace. It is our responsibility—James, James, come back!"

I just stormed out, again. I was stomping away in the middle of nowhere, hopefully anywhere. I mean, what? I was just tired, and suddenly someone expected me to save the world? Yesterday (was it even yesterday?) I was a normal kid, last year of high school. Fuck, I had normal problems. Girls, homework, internships. All the while preparing myself for my own goals for four years later. There was a plan, one that I was following while dealing with a good amount of pressure from exams. It's not easy to get scholarships. This, however, blew that all out of the water. I wasn't Atlas to hold the world, and neither I wanted to be. That absolutely sucked.

"James, you are going the wrong way!" I heard Korra yell behind me.

"How the fuck you know this is the wrong way!?"

"Because you have to calm yourself! We are inside your mind!"

I stopped suddenly, and she bumped into my back herself. When I turned around to face her though, she was already eyeing me down with her arms crossed.

"You can make a world of difference now, James. All the things I just did, you will be able to do so yourself in time."

"And what did you just do? What you call that, the things you did? What is my potential?" I asked. It sounded like a silly question at first, but it was, I believe, essential to undermine my worries. Problem was I wasn't optimistic about the chances of actually doing so.

Korra's answer was instant. "As the Avatar, you possess the unparalleled control over your environment. The four elements, fire, air, water, earth, are the basis of your reach, but even then, they are but a fragment of what you can be. They will not only serve as a ground support for other materials, you can use them to back track and sense energy itself. Not just the physical world, but the spiritual too is your responsibility." Korra's voice, despite her more acute words, grew softer. I knew she was trying to find a balance between telling me what she thought I should do, but also show me why I should. I didn't interrupt her, I wanted to hear her to the end. "You have the tools to affect society in all ways. You can save civilizations, James. Avatars before you have done so. They've preserved cultures, peace, and protected the rights of millions of people. They've stopped not just wars, but outright genocides. They are the gamechanger. Your world needs that, don't you agree with me?"

"I do, but all I was given was power, and an amount of power no one should have it for themselves." I spat and my shoulders trembled against my will, "I don't believe in kings, I believe in deliberation and discussion. That by cooperation, responsibilities can be given with acceptable amounts of power. But this much concentrated, it's not something you learn. You need to have some sort of inherent genius to make the right choices. An unyielding moral compass. Someone fundamentally good, and I don't think that exists, Korra."

She sighed, and she tried to say something but I hadn't finished.

"I'm not. I'm not perfect. I feel jealously, greed, anger. There's a lot of heroes around the world, or just nice capes if you're not a fan of them, but that's the point. Given this much power, how will I know which boundaries to not cross? Only a select few manage to do the things you did. Even fewer put themselves on that same task you've presented me. I have but the utmost respect for those who chose that path. I just don't think I'm fit for it."

Korra's frown had dispersed, now seemingly pinched. She untangled her arms, placing a hand over my shoulder. "You will stumble James, and surely fall, but it is the choice of keep going, surpassing yourself for others that makes you the hero. So, I agree and disagree with you. No one is born the hero, they just choose to follow the ideal that no matter the scope, be it in a small village or an entire nation, whatever difference you can make, it's worth it. If you are afraid of the expectations, I understand, and I am happy too because that may be a sign of wisdom. When I was your age, I wish I would've had some of that. The point is, in a way, you've already gone through this multiple times. You've always pulled it off."

Korra was admirable. Despite the magnitude of our conversation, of what it entailed, she believed what she was saying, and she made me believe, damn her for that, that she believed in me.

"How many times?" I asked her suddenly.

"What?"

"How many lifetimes?" She hadn't been specific, but if she was a past life, then by that logic she didn't need to be the only.

Korra seemed to be running a few calculations before speaking. "100 or so. We usually live up to 130 years old, unless we die earlier due to… reasons."

I nodded. It certainly didn't bode well for her story that no one had ever heard of the avatar before.

Her voice hesitated, but the she said almost as an answer to my thoughts. "Our soul might not be native to your world."

I almost choked. "It's much easier, Korra, to believe none of this is true. Both based on facts and based on what's more convenient."

"But now you know." She said, and her voice was soft. "Anyone can do the right thing with the right guidance. We've received the best too, from Raava, the Spirit of Light. You've made good use of it before in your many lifetimes. You will do it again."

When I turned my eyes to look at Korra, as she so called herself, she wasn't there anymore. Neither was I in that lifeless landscape.

My real eyes were now open. I was in a hospital room, one only for myself, but it wasn't all that there was. I had curtains around and some sort of machinery on the outside, strange one too, close to the walls of my room. Around my bed, four poles also rose up high, with some sort of antennas pointing right at me. I felt my arms slightly numb, but after moving them, I felt they were just fine. I was on serum, among other things I couldn't recognize.

There were a few knocks on the door. As it opened, the sound from the outside invaded my room. Sound proof? The 'heavy' steps of armor made their way in until the figure came to a stop, and after the door closed, all the sound from the outside was muted once again. The individual was none other than one of the most recognizable parahumans from PRT. Armsmaster, was here in a light suit with a smaller and thinner halberd than I had seen him with on TV. I wondered briefly what the full armor sounded like if this had been enough to make my ears ring. Or maybe I was just sensitive?

"Good morning," I said, my voice surprisingly fine.

Armsmaster nodded, "Good afternoon. That's sunset," he pointed out, "James Flores, am I right?"

"I would say the one and only, but I doubt that."

I saw Armsmaster's head twitch. Perhaps I had made him chuckle, maybe he was having a stroke. Preferably the former. Wouldn't want to explain the latter to the police. His armor on hi chest opened a small compartment from where he pulled a thinstack of papers.

"This," he started, shaking the papers in his hand, "is a script I'm supposed to follow. I've been told I'm not the best with people, but for reasons you will soon know, I'm still the one chosen to be here. It's just that… you seem fine."

"I seem fine?" I asked.

"Yeah. Surprisingly so even." He said with suspicion. "You know, we had three capes specialized in health and nursing to make sure you would survive. You were pretty beaten up, and your cuts, though none too deep, were too many. We also had to make sure nothing inside you was broken or ripped off. But you were fine. You have been fine for the past three days, in fact. You also resisted three attempts at pulling you back from your coma."

"A lot of scripted lines in there," I realized, "You sure its fine dropping them?"

"I haven't really dropped all of them, and there are only a few lines. Most of it is… advising material," he confessed nonchalantly, "There's whole team of civilians and capes alike that have devised the best strategy, to their abilities, on how to approach you based on everything that is known. Straightforwardness seems to be the way to go, and I have come here to tell you that we are worried." I frowned. "A Master Protocol was activated just before you stopped Leviathan's rampage. It was anonymous, and by that, I mean a high-ranking official did it."

"Am I supposed to know that?"

He tilted his head, "Straightforwardness, remember?"

Armsmaster voice was interesting. At first you could hardly notice, but as he spoke, you could hear the small imperfections. Or perhaps, the perfections would be a better way to put it. Was he tuning it?

"It makes sense." I told him. "In your eyes I'm a man who managed to stand against Leviathan. Few've done that before, and the most famous, the Dragon of Kyushu, is a gang leader. Bit of a worrying precedent."

Armsmaster nodded. "I've been led to believe, by both testimony and records of your past actions, and not just from the battle three days ago, that you are a stable person who believes in what is right. You're a law abiding individual and have good grades. You're studious. Your professors also believe you are respectful. Quite the opposite of Lung, so we are hopeful. But tell me yourself, are we are on the same side?"

I felt slightly out of place at that conversation. It made sense they went on to find everything about me, and their straightforwardness was strangely reassuring despite the invasion of my privacy. However, when I took a look at the stakes from their side, I acknowledged it made sense.

"Yes," I started, "You said you spoke with people. Is everyone fine? Is my family fine?"

"That's… a conversation we will have in a few hours," the parahuman said, not even his helmet able to tune his troubling thoughts from his tone, "It's complicated to talk about certain things when you aren't yet cleared out of the Master Protocol."

I nodded, but I felt there was more than just protocol. "Three days ago you say?" I glanced down, my hands tangled on the white sheets over my legs. Had I been in this bed for three days? I started imagining people around me, going haywire as they made sure I was intact. "For three days I was taken care of?"

"Most of the worry is about whether you are a master, mastered, or simply none of them."

I nodded. "What have you determined?"

The cape didn't answer immediately. "We aren't sure. There are no traces, but patterns in your speech and interesting knowledge gaps could indicate a foreign consciousness in your body. The next step, naturally, is to verify whether you remember the fight. So, do you—"

"I was mastered, in the practical sense of the word," I said carefully.

I couldn't hear Armsmaster's breathing, but the way he stopped talking made me think he also held his breath.

"Explain." He asked me.

"I'm not sure I believe her explanation. You ought to take what I'm about to say with a pinch of salt. Maybe a whole mine honestly." I said earnestly. "Do you believe in god, Armsmaster?"

The cape slightly twitched his head, "Can't say I give myself much time to think about that."

"She, and by that," I said, raising my hands slightly, "I mean someone who introduced herself as a past life of mine, told me I'm supposed to be the incarnation of a world saving entity that has fused with the divine. I may also not be from this world. I wanna see how Catholicism explains that. But, now that I think about it, she may have meant different dimensions. Anyway, this all sounds like loads of rubbish, right?"

Armsmaster wasn't immediate, "Right… rubbish?"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, ignoring his question. I was noticing telling Armsmaster the truth wasn't making me feel any better about it. "I told her the same," I said more subdued.

Armsmaster crossed his fingers, "So, you've spoken. She exists."

I shook my head. "Yes to the first one, not really for the second. She's dead now."

"So, what did you speak with? For how long?" Armsmaster inquired a little less patiently.

"A few minutes, maybe an hour. Felt longer though. You see, I kind knew she existed? Like, I had dreams when I was a child, and even until a few years ago I would still get some… flashes of what must have been her memories… now that I think about it," I said slowly, "She exists in me. She is…part of me. She is me, or at least supposedly she is. I also once had a funy accident in the beach, I kinda froze the water where I stepped. It really freaked me out and I didn't go into the sea the rest of the day."

Armsmaster lifted a hand, "Wait, you have used your powers as a child?"

"I—I—maybe? It's difficult to parse through memories of when I was four years old. I had dreams too, so it's hard to tell after so many years what is real and what isn't."

"And if she isn't a past life?" Armsmaster asked simply, "Which, mind you, is the most probable case?"

I frowned, "Then, I guess I am being masterfully mastered."

Did Armsmaster just sigh? "You seem to believe what you are saying. I'm not sure if that's better or worse," he confessed. He started pacing to one side of the room, getting closer to the machinery and taking a look at some of its visors.

I shook my head. "I am not sure I believe in what I am saying."

Armsmaster tapped his helmet. "This here is some state-of-the-art lie detector, kid. With all due respect, I trust my own creation more than your own concept of truth."

Ouch, though I guess it makes sense. "Can't say I feel like I'm in the right state of mind. Tell me something, am I a parahuman? I would like to confirm that."

Armsmaster turned to me, coming to the side of my bed, but remaining outside the curtains. "We don't have a simple answer anymore. You know what the Corona Pollentia is?" at my nod he continued, "Well, you don't have it, or at least not anywhere previously seen. You just don't seem to have what every other single parahuman in history has. While you were in this strange coma, we used everything on our hands to check your anatomy. Powers and machinery included. We just couldn't find a positive."

I clicked my fingers, "This is the 'but' part, right?"

Armsmaster stopped himself, and looked at me for a second. I don't think he had appreciated the joke, or maybe he just wasn't in the mood for it.

"Do you know who Nilbog is?"

"Yeah… that madman from upstate New York."

The cape hummed. "Amazing how that description fits more than one. Nevertheless, an apt depiction." Armsmaster said troubled. "He's sent an envoy, James. One of his creatures which describes itself as a physician, which according to a letter signed by Nilbog, is specialized in 'spiritual matters'. We didn't know what to make of it."

I nodded.

Armsmaster opened his arms, "Until then we were sure you had been mastered, that your powers were somehow granted through a link. Picture then our confusion when Nilbog wants, for all that matters, an unpowered civilian. But you say you've used your powers before, as a child?"

"Look, its fuzzy. I don't think I actually did," I said dismissively, my mind jumping to something else the hero had said. I had a bad feeling about this. "What do you mean by Nilbog 'wants', by the way?

"He's invited you over to his 'realm'. Quite the honor." Armsmaster said sarcastically. "Kid, how do you feel?"

"Funny question to ask after what you just told me." My breathing became slightly irregular. See Korra? You fight against Endbringers, but hearing about Nilbog is already driving me over the walls. "Physically, I'm fine. I might need something to drink though. Ease the stress."

Armsmaster visibly turned his head at me slightly. "Our medical team will clear you out and we will bring you in to the Protectorate HQ. Whatever is left of it anyway."

"Am I being arrested?" I didn't think I was, but I didn't see why I shouldn't ask. I thought it would be funny too, help break some of the tension.

"Kid, if I were in your place and Nilbog was after me, I would put myself behind as many bars as I could."

You know what? That wasn't funny at all.

* * *

AN:

I ended up deciding that writing out the rest of the fight isn't exactly productive. James will be shown the rest of the battle later on, next chapter, and together with the added commentary and conversations with the various parties, I was afraid it would get repetitive as Nilbog joins the fray. There's also the fact not a lot happened after the point we left off, though I admit it was important. Next chapter will also be the first real arc, and by that, I mean the original part of this story. I pretty much used Leviathan to kick off James adventure as the Avatar.

PS: for those who never got that far into Worm, who Nilbog is will be explored next chapter. There will be changes though to fit him as a part of this story instead of the original worm.


	4. Ep1: The Road to El Dorado

**Episode 1: The Road to El Dorado**

 **Part 1: The King's Invitation**

-00-

* * *

-00-

The realization that my entire family was probably dead wasn't instantaneous. I had talked with Armsmaster for a few good moments before it came to me. As doctors poured inside the room, together with a handful of capes by their costumes, I realized I still felt alone. Terribly lonely, despite their extremely small chance I did have a past soul inside myself, together with a god, or whatever that thing is supposed to be.

I realized too, as the doctors and a couple of capes had me perform a series of movements and follow certain directions, that my body was frailer than I remembered. Every time I made a muscle contract and at every twist, not matter how gentle, my bones and flesh felt dull and heavy. It didn't feel like the sort of thing that a mere three day stay at a hospital should give you. This wasn't the sort of numbness staying still would provoke.

I felt extremely weak. Both my physical state, as my mental, had been clearly chipped away. Anxiety started to creep on me, and my breathing grew faster, only further hated by the fact my lungs themselves seemed unable to up their rhythm. I felt I was sweating already from the effort.

"What is wrong with me?" I asked to any of those around.

It was the short girl in a white costume who answered me. "When I got you in my hands, your body wasn't just extremely debilitated. It was dying." She said that more surprised than anything else. It intrigued her, this cape which I knew her name. Panacea. One of the few capes around whose power can be used to perform the good sort of miracles. She placed a hand on my shoulder suddenly, uncovering it slightly and touched my skin. "Sorry. I don't actually have to ask you specifically for permission."

"I would obviously have given it though. You've saved me." I told her with a slight nod of my head.

Surprisingly, she frowned at that. "That's not entirely clear. You were feeble, almost on the other side of life, but it wasn't me who brought you back. In fact, there was little I could do. It's almost as if I couldn't use my powers on you."

"Has that ever happened?" I asked her, and I noticed Armsmaster lifted his head slightly, my question catching his curiosity.

"Never. Reason why Horizon is here to help me." She told me, her head twitching to the other side of my bed. I could see her immediately, with a nurse taking my intravenous connections apart from my other arm. After she was done though, I saw who Horizon was. She wore green colored light armor, which was constituted by thin plates over a green mesh that seemed to be a bodysuit. Her mask covered only her face, with a visor that went from one extremity to the other in front of her vision of sight. "She has such an extremely developed sight, that she can gaze into a person and see the functioning of one's internal organs. It helps since you somewhat seem to interfere with my powers."

I nodded along, both for hearing her and to disguise me cheeks which threatened to twitch. My eyes too started feeling strangely moisty. The question in the back of my head needed an answer, but I, myself, didn't need it just yet. Whether my family was dead or not had to wait. It didn't make a difference right now.

But my eyes didn't listen, as I felt a sole streak of a tear running down over my face.

"Are in pain?" Panacea asked me suddenly, her hands flying over my body as she attempted to catch my problem. Was she always so touchy, or did her powers really struggled that much?

"I don't think it's physical." Horizon chipped in, and before Panacea could continue that line of thought, I interrupted her.

"What happens now?" I asked Armsmaster. The easiest way to follow through was to ignore the problem at hand. It hurt, the headache I was giving myself, but I had to continue forward. Apparently, Nilbog was out for my hide, or his puppets were in his place. It didn't matter too much, since both were terribly dangerous, and right that was enough to for me to worry about. Anything else wasn't worth the sweat.

"As I've told you before," Armsmaster started, his voice robotic. "we will take you to our HQ. A meeting will be assembled on what our next steps.

Next steps… "On what to do with Nilbog?" Panacea and Horizon visibly twitched at the mention of my newest problem. Clearly, they seemed to be in the know. Was it public knowledge? Knowledge shared between all capes? Armsmaster didn't seem to care about what I had just said, so I suppose it didn't matter.

"Precisely." He answered me curtly.

As I cracked my neck, the medical team started leaving my room, leaving me only with Armsmaster, Horizon, and Panacea, whose eyes had held an inquiring gaze throughout the whole ordeal. She seemed really put off. I suppose it did make some sense however.

"No, this really doesn't make any sense." Panacea said slowly, holding out her hand again and touching me in the arm once again. "You sure you can't see it?" She asked Horizon.

"See what?" I asked Panacea.

"Honestly, I have that same question." Horizon confessed.

Panacea had a hand running through her hair as she sighed in frustration. "Hopefully it doesn't matter."

"Better to be safe about it. Is it still about the blinking particles?" Armsmaster inquired, to which Panacea meekly nodded.

"There was never something in a body I couldn't make sense of it." She admitted reluctantly, crossing her arms as she pouted. "I guess I will have to write another report on this."

"Is he ready?" Armsmaster asked both capes, and at their nod, he gave us some simple instructions.

They left my room, giving me the privacy to dress a new set of clothes offered by the PRT. Apparently, my clothes from the battle were beyond saving, and both my phone and wallet were gone. When I left my room, it felt weird walking around without the weight and volume of a phone or wallet in my pockets.

The set of clothes were simple. Blue jeans, black buttoned shirt, black socks, and navy blue shoes. It felt quite cheap, and I was sure everything had been bought in a Ross store or something. It didn't bother me at all though. In fact, the efficiency was preferable, and the clothes suited me just fine.

What stroke me as shocking, was my escort waiting for me outside my door. Six agents, probably from the PRT, all carrying handguns on one side of the waist and tinker like guns on the other. Armsmaster followed behind us, while Panacea and Horizon were no where in view. We left the Hospital not on foot, but through the garage. Two armored cars from the PRT, one of them filled with people in military armor, with three police cars surrounding us.

This was a fucking convoy. I looked around at the people besides me as everyone took their seats. Armsmaster came last from behind, nudging me to enter the empty armored car. Well, almost empty. It had a driver and a co-pilot, as well as a woman in a suit. Looking back at this memory, I would think she was quite attractive, but I wasn't exactly in the right state of mind to bother with that at the moment.

"What is all this for? Is it against me?" I asked Armsmaster as we took our own seats. Were people afraid of me? Paranoid? Or was I the paranoid one? But what was this for anyway, then?

"No." He is answer echoed in my mind as an agent closed the back doors of the armored car, a loud metallic noise as the engine roared and the car started moving. "It's to protect you."

I raised my eyebrows. "People want to hurt me?"

Armsmaster sighed. "Your victory over Leviathan seems to have come with a price. You are not using your powers right now, are you?" he asked me with an answer already in mind. As I shook my head, he continued. "Leviathan is still inside that globe of ice, just as you left him. Thing is, you also left behind a small 'ice age' over Brockton Bay. Around ninety-five thousand people died during the battle of Leviathan, but the aftermath was also unfortunately deadly to a few."

We left the garage, and the light of the outside day invaded the car through the only windows available, the driver's front ones. Everything was covered in snow. A very thin layer of snow, but snow nevertheless. The day was clouded, shining upon the city covered in white a grey color scale that only helped making our surroundings more depressing. There was still, obviously, streets entirely covered in debris and other leftovers of the chaotic battle, and our convoy zig-zagged as best as it could in order to avoid any possible obstacles.

"Around twelve hundred people have died due to the under 32 F temperatures, and the only reason the casualties haven't risen up, is because we are receiving great amounts of relief from the outside world."

It was then that I heard the sound of jets flying low over Brockton Bay. Emphasis on multiple ones.

Armsmaster continued, but his voice now carried spite. "A small price to pay for stopping an Endbringer. Not too long ago, I would think trading lives for this sort of thing was undoable. But now… kid, you've stopped a third of the apocalypse."

My jaw bone was shaking. "I killed twelve hundred people?"

The cape sitting opposite to me nodded, and he too seemed affected. "Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" I asked with disbelief.

"I just told you, James. You can believe that no hero, no good cape would have wanted this, but now that it is done… tell me, who will have the courage to stop this winter, and melt away the only thing keeping Leviathan locked up?"

I didn't want this.

Armsmaster hadn't stopped talking. "—maybe for the first time since their first attack, we are on track to save human civilization."

" _You can save civilizations, James."_

Korra's words echoed in my mind together with a pang of pain.

I just want my family.

Another tear stroke down my cheek, but I cleaned it again before it was noticed.

At my silence, Armsmaster said nothing else. I looked a few times through the driver's windshield, absorbing the image of my cursed city. We passed a few times by some camps, garbage cans lit on fire as the poor circled around their only source of warmth.

The buildings that weren't totally destroyed were obviously overpopulated. Most windows had various pieces of cloth, rags, or outright pieces of clothing to hamper the cold air from getting inside. Every time our convoy passed by one of those occupied structures, people would come out and check, while the children sated their curiosity from the upper floors, their heads popping out between the window covers and the window balcony.

It was an eerie scene that repeated itself more than once. Were they waiting for relief? Waiting for food to fill their empty stomachs? Waiting for blankets to shield them from the old night? Energy was probably out, aand that's not even mentioning the water supply.

Hadn't I froze the entire water supply of this city? Had Korra made it localized so that it would affect the citizens of Brockton Bay? No, that would be impossible. Just to be safe, we must have blocked all sources of liquid water.

There were people out there who wanted my hide. People who, righteously, felt hurt by what we had done, be it by collaterally killing those they cared, or by the suffering we had put them through these following days. And I felt very tempted to blame Korra, to blame on her this whole mess that my life had become, from one day to the other. I hadn't chosen this, I had no way of knowing this was coming, no way to prepare. It would be so easy to say that I was mastered or at least, to pretend that I, James Flores, had been a victim of circumstance. So easy to say I was powerless.

But I couldn't make myself do it. I felt, amazingly enough even to myself, already strangely responsible. Korra told me I had made the call. She told me that it had been thanks to me that she had been able to take action, and I believed her. I didn't know why, but I did. If everyone I cared about was dead, it didn't make me feel as someone to be pitied. I didn't feel like I deserved that. I felt like I had failed them.

I had power. I, therefore, had at the same time the responsibility. I had the duty to take the right action, but things had developed exactly as I feared, exactly as I had told Korra. It didn't matter if you had all the power in the world if you can't make the right choices with it.

Our arrival to the PRT HQ (or its leftovers) was a bit bumpy. Apparently, between the morning and the afternoon, a piece of concrete from the building had fallen over the loading dock, and due to the entire mess that the city still was, we had to go around the whole complex to get in through another access. Clearly, they were adamant that I should be brought in as safely as possible.

When I commented about that, Armsmaster then thought okay to share the fact three people had tried to kill me during my little coma. In the first day, it had been a cape, Skidmark. The second, two civilians had tried the same with bombs. While Skidmark wanted some sort of revenge, and was drugged the fuck out of it, the civilians were part of a newly founded cult that believed I was an Endbringer.

Funny how the world works.

When we disembarked the armored car, I realized the woman in a suit didn't come with us. We entered the elevator, and the doors started to close. In between them, I stole one last look at the woman, but she seemed to be lost in thought as he had been during the entire trip.

"Who's she?" I asked Armsmaster.

He didn't answer immediately, the elevator going down a floor before he opened his mouth. "I'm not sure." He confessed.

We stopped at the -3 level, and after exiting, Armsmaster prodded me to enter what was clearly an interrogation room. The one-way mirror covered almost one of the entire walls.

I swallowed. "I guess we still have some trust issues around here."

Armsmaster shrugged. "It's not just that. There are civilians on the other side of the window, which has been tempered by tinkers to protect them from most parahuman powers."

As he finished speaking, a handful of capes joined us in the room. First came one of the Triumvirate, Alexandria, followed by who I thought to be Chevalier who joined the table besides Armsmaster. All of them were leaders of their own, all of them on the top scale of the most powerful parahumans, and they were in a tight room with me.

I looked at my right, at the one-way mirror, and wondered how many people were on the other side. Just for one second, for a fraction of a moment, I wondered if my family was there too. Involuntarily, I hiccupped.

" _We are responsible for keeping the balance in the world."_

I'm not like them. I looked at them, at all these exemplary capes, people who had gone beyond the call of duty to save the world, one good action at a time. I was just a boy, and I wanted my family. I wanted them back. I couldn't hold it.

I placed my elbows over the metal table, my face sinking into my palms as tears finally made their way out.

"James." I didn't recognize the voice there for a second, though by being feminine, it was obvious it could only belong to Alexandria. Before that reasoning had reached me, however, I first recalled her voice from my memories, the voice of the cape who had helped me against Leviathan.

"Where are they? My mom, my dad?" It hurt to speak, to know this could be the last time I ever referenced to them as if they were still alive. "And where's my sister?"

The lack of an answer was the most painful silence I had ever endured until this day, and yet, I did try to hold it in. I tried as best as I could to focus, to stop myself for continuing this shameful display.

"James, I know it's a lot to take in." I felt like Alexandria really felt for what she was saying, but that didn't bring my family back. "And I know it's hard, but we have to ask you to calm yourself. If your powers, if you have them, are exposed to intense emotions, they could leave your control."

"Well…" I said coarsely, "Then you are in bad fucking luck. It's beyond my control, It's not just about not knowing how to use them. It's beyond my reach."

Alexandria seemed to look at Armsmaster for a second before facing me straight on again. "What you mean?"

"I have to learn how to use it. I don't know how any of this works yet."

"That's not how powers usually work." Chevalier interjected.

I spat. "So, what? Now it does, and apparently, it works. Leviathan is stuck inside fucking a snow globe."

"James—" Alexandria called my name again, but I ignored her.

"Armsmaster, you seem the kind to give straight answers. Where's my family?" I asked, my voice enraged and distorted by the tightness of m throat and by my running nose.

The other capes in the room exchanged glances until everyone of us held our eyes on Armsmaster. He straightened his shoulders before answering, "Your parents are deceased. Your sister, however, we have no confirmation on her status. She could be dead, she could be missing.:

"So, she is probably dead?" That last word crushed my heart as I said. It felt abysmally wrong. I banged the metal table, the sound echoing inside the room. "Seems like we are all pretty bad at our jobs. You couldn't take down Leviathan after decades, and I do it in a day." Tears were resurfacing again. "In contrast I can't even protect my own sister. One fucking person."

I knew I was pissing them off, but I felt I had the right to piss someone off, at least just a little.

"Thousands have died fighting that monster, good men and women." Chevalier spat. "People who lost everything to them but kept fighting—"

"Telling me I shouldn't be crying over my dead family you fucking—"

"Both of you—" Armsmaster started, but Alexandria finished it.

"Enough of you all!" She yelled with strength, and suddenly, it downed on me to who I was swearing against. A couple of seconds went by, in which Alexandria seemed to be cursing to herself.

"Let's just get this moving." Chevalier spoke up, his voice heavy. "Alexandria, the letter?"

The female cape brought to the table a small envelope, which was already opened. "This," she started, her hand over that very same envelope, "Is the letter Nilbog sent through his envoy. Would you prefer to read it yourself, should I read it aloud?"

I looked again at the one-way mirror. "Wouldn't they prefer if you read the letter again?"

"You can sense them?" Chevalier spoke up, and I readily answered.

"No, but with three top capes inside this tiny ass room, it isn't a far stretch of imagination to wonder how packed that room is."

"To those which the letter matters, they already have a copy." Alexandria explained. "But I suppose it might be useful to read it to you, instead."

" _TO the Most Honorable Soul, Benefactor of Men and God, Prince of Raava, The Avatar, it is of my great respect and admiration that I write to you. May my envoy deliver to your 'Great Person' this testament of my delight and esteem over your glorious existence. There is not a spirit out there, after all, who does not know of your legends._

" _The entire world, for those not ignorant of the other side, have felt your awakening, and it is of my greatest pleasure to invite you over to my Kingdom of Ellisburg. I and my children can only wait to be in awe of your divine presence. Unfortunately, it occurs to me that you may be dissuaded by your government to visit my blessed realm. I offer than something in exchange, a token of trust._

 _The Endbringer will not be trapped for long. From what I've observed and heard, the demon will remain imprisoned for only two weeks. Depending on when you receive this letter, time may have ticked substantially. James Flores, although I treat you as an equal, as a royal man, you are yet not the Avatar in his full form. Come to my palace, and you will leave with knowledge. Come to me, His Majesty of Ellisburg, and you will be able to permanently terminate Leviathan._

 _I promise you, you will leave my Kingdom unscathed, but still, I allow you an escort if only to make sure you feel adequately protected and safe. Two parahumans, but two parahumans only. You may be brought by any form of transportation to 35 miles of Ellisburg by any number of personal of your choosing. Once you arrive at the 35 mile mark, the Avatar must disembark and proceed his journey on foot with his two chosen parahumans. My children will be watching as to make sure you and your men hold your word. I apologize for the scrutiny in advance, but our cease-fire is too fragile to risk the safety of my people._

 _Furthermore, I've sent with my envoy a spiritual physician, one of my children. Should you need proof of my promise, he can show you the truth of this broken world. I'm sure that, then and perhaps only then, you shall be made sure of your destiny, and why it lies within Ellisburg. This is fate, Lord of the Elements._

 _From His Majesty, The God-King of Ellisburg,_

 _Himself, Nilbog_

No one knew what to say after Alexandria finished reading it. Armsmaster had his face turned down, Chevalier had a hand over his mask and Alexandria's voice as she had read it was enough to tell us of her disbelief and absolute distrust.

"We know it's really from him?" I asked, my hands intertwined in font of me as I tried to distract myself that this serial killer wanted to meet me.

"It has his signature, both of Nilbog and of his civilian identity, Jamie Rinkie. Probably as good as we will ever get. He destroyed all communications inside Ellisburg."

I nodded. "This guy… he is really mad, isn't he?"

"The PRT has been keeping track of him ever since he showed up." Chevalier told us, "Every week, a good number of procedures are followed through to check every biocomponent Ellisburg has exchanged with the outer world. The air currents are tracked and analyzed, the water and sewage are tested, and every road that comes out or goes in is secured. Not to say, every single forest that surrounds the area is infested with cameras and other sensors. Everything that happens in that town, we make it sure it stays in that town."

"He sent an envoy who reached Brockton Bay." I observed.

"His creatures explained the situation to our PRT agents in a nearby watch station and showed a copy of the letter. It was quite horrific to know that Nilbog knew where some of our men were located, but nevertheless, no one got hurt. Reports from our men in New York say it was stressful at first, but Nilbog's creatures were adamant about their orders to not kill, maim, or hurt any human."

I still had questions. Nilbog seemed aware of the Avatar, something he had called me explicitly. A lunatic thinks I am the Avatar. I 'think' I believe I'm the Avatar. You see where I'm going? Maybe I was really going mad.

"What is this 'Avatar' thing?" Chevalier inquired, both Armsmaster and Alexandria attentive to my answer. "He calls 'Benefactor of Men and God', 'Prince of… Sasha', and 'Avatar'. What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Are they code words? Do they have a specific meaning to you?"

"What you mean code words?" I asked somewhat offended. "How the fuck am I going to trade coded words with this fucking crazy asshole?! I don't know him!"

"Then what is it?" Chevalier pressed on unscathed.

"I—" say I don't know? I knew I had to explain it, but it just felt so humiliating telling a bunch of grown ups about my latest trip to fantasy land. It didn't matter if I somewhat believed in Korra. Telling what I knew to these people was beyond embarrassing.

"I—what?" Chevalier prodded again.

I sighed, looking at Armsmaster briefly. "I've spent the last three days in a god damn hospital. Can you assure me I have no brain damage?"

"We have no reason to believe your brain has been compromised, outside of probable master effects, which are still not out of the table." Armsmaster informed me.

"So, if I sound even slightly batshit insane, I can say that's some…" I gestured widely to my side, "you know, an out there master-like powered cape's fault. Not mine."

Armsmaster nodded. "If you are mastered."

Well here we go. I looked at the three capes before me. Alexandria, Chevalier, and Armsmaster. Three of the greatest capes the United States had in its repertoire.

"You know, after telling you what I know, if any of you have objections on putting me in an asylum, I will seriously start doubting you guys have the sanity to keep your jobs."

-00-

* * *

A/N: Yeah, took a while for this next chapter. Finals, well, you know the spin.

I can tell you right now that very few characters were changed, if that is something that bothers you. Unfortunately, Nilbog is one of them. Thing is, I have a bit of a problem with stories that simply throw two stories together and wave all the inconsistencies with just an argument of the likes 'its all in the multiverse'. Ironically, although that is part of my explanation in this story, readers will realize the Avatar is less alien to Worm than one might presume. As in, this isn't just 'throwing the Avatar' into Worm. There are in universe explanations and connections, although I'm sure there will be always people saying it's too farfetched.

I'm splitting each arc into 'Episodes'. The number of parts is undefined, but I'm pretty sure Nilbog's arc will need at least three more chapters. Probably around 12 thousand words depending on how lazy I am. Next episode, James and his two escorts will start their journey.

After this arc, for your curiosity's sake, James will do what many Avatars have done once in their lifetime, independently if they actually follow through with their duties.


	5. Ep1 Pt2: The Lost Epiphany

**Episode I: The Road to El Dorado**

 **Part 2: The Lost Epiphany**

* * *

As you might expect, retelling Korra's conversation with me to Alexandria, Chevalier, and Armsmaster wasn't exactly comfortable. I added details I hadn't mentioned to Armsmaster the first time too, so now they were on par with what Korra had told me, which wasn't a lot in the first place.

I'm a reincarnated soul capable of 'bending' the four elements with immense power, enough to stand up to Leviathan. I didn't, however, mention the fact that Korra believed I was responsible for the world. When that part of the story came, I couldn't help but omit it. I could lie to myself, to say that these heroes wouldn't believe it and so it didn't matter telling them. Truth was, and I was sure of it, I was afraid of them believing it. Would I be forced? Coerced? Or maybe they would help me, maybe they would do their best to give me all required tools…

The fear of assuming that duty, of facing that task, made me shiver.

In a nutshell, the Avatar was a figure whose responsibility was of protecting civilization while powered with the ability to manipulate the four elements. And Apparently, his or her power (now mine) came from a mysterious source other than a tumor in the brain. Korra referred to it as 'spiritual energy'—maybe, since we hadn't really had a very detailed talk.

"So, instead of a tumor in your brain, you're telling me your 'soul' carries your power?" Armsmaster inquired with a healthy amount of skepticism. "I mean, is that what she means by spiritual energy?"

Armsmaster wasn't the only one in disbelief at my story. Chevalier seemed outright exasperated too, and I didn't need for him to take off his helmet to see that. "Wait, wait, wait. Let's roll back to the iceberg. What you are saying is that Leviathan should stay inside the iceberg for two months?" Chevalier asked with a hand over the desk.

"Korra believed so." I told him. "But it seems Nilbog disagrees."

"Precisely, and who are we to believe?" Cheavlier continued, a hand on the chin of his mask. "Two different opinions from the most unlikely sources."

Alexandria looked to the side, in the direction of the one-way mirror. I think she was about to say something when Armsmaster interjected.

"He has to meet him." The tinker spoke, and I sensed some weariness.

Alexandria looked back at him and I felt she was shooting him a look. Difficult to read the mood when everyone around you was using damn masks, but it wasn't impossible.

Armsmaster tangled his hands together almost in a pleading gesture, "We have no choice."

I just stayed quiet as the official capes in the room had their silent conversation/debate. They couldn't even see each other's eyes, so I was quite surprised they could carry on this 'intimate' level of communication. It was clear this had not only been discussed previously, but it had failed to provide a conclusion.

Alexandria sighed and looked at me, "Give me a moment." And left the room.

A couple of seconds passed before any of us made a sound again.

"So, does she mean you won?" I asked the Armsmaster, but he declined to answer. Instead, Chevalier placed his elbows on the desk and leaned forward.

"Still an atheist?" he wondered.

I shrugged, "I'm more of a 'proof first' kind of guy. Haven't met this Raava yet, so…"

Chevalier hummed as he nodded.

The following moments of silence were somewhat painful as memories of my family resurfaced, but I didn't let it go out of control. I would never see them again. I would wake up again in a lazy Sunday to see my parents having breakfast on the kitchen, or my sister watching TV on our living room while she eats her god damn tasteless cereals. Never to hug my dad, or kiss my mom good bye before leaving home. Never again to receive a crushing hug from my sister after school. Those cruel facts, now a reality, started being engraved in my mind.

I placed a hand over my face and forced myself to talk, to distract myself.

"How do you know my family is dead?" My voiced sounded hoarser than minutes ago. I suppose that is only to be expected. This subject must take a toll on me, but maybe if I talk about, I can somewhat make it more ordinary, less difficult to approach.

It was Armsmaster who answered me. It seemed like he had practice delivering the cold facts to those who were looking for them. "Cameras got your parents entering a shelter that sank completely. Your sister disappeared shortly after Skitter contacted her. Help was on the way, and was there minutes after, but she was no where to be seen. Descriptions of a girl like her was given by some witnesses, that she was running towards your general direction. It's probable that Leviathan's large scale attacks may have gotten her in some way, since no traces of her have been found."

I was running my fingers through my head, pulling them as I heard Armsmaster tell me of how my sister might have gotten herself killed. Of course, there was another possibility. I asked the million-dollar question. It was for me. "Is it possible I killed her? My fight with Leviathan wasn't exactly contained, by either party."

Armsmaster didn't answer immediately. "We might never know."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, but I knew this wasn't over. This question would haunt me forever. My parents, it was understandable. I had no way of knowing which shelter they were in, so I didn't even dare to ask whether there was the possibility I am too responsible for their fates. But my sister's destiny… the probable answer was eating me already.

Alexandria returned, opening the door slightly and popping her head in. "James, follow me."

When I left the interrogation room, I took notice of the kind of eyes I had on me through that one-way mirror. There were at least 8 individuals well dressed up, black tie and everything, as well as around 4 or 5 military officials, but all probably from different branches by the slightly different colors of their uniforms. I couldn't really catch any more details as Alexandria turned opposite to them, and I did my best to remain behind her. As I heard Chevalier and Armsmaster's voices distant, I realized they had stayed behind.

Our destination was a large black box inside an underground hangar, but not just any hangar. It seemed it was currently being used by the military. Inside this gigantic room, thousands of soldiers were performing their duties. Trucks were leaving and entering through the tunnels, cargo coming and being taken away. Men yelled orders left and right, and Alexandria made sure to keep me close to her so we could get through the masses of soldiers. She grabbed my hand, with a grip I wouldn't be able to free myself any time soon, and kept a steady pace for me to follow.

This black box was around 9-10ish inches, and whether its height, its length should be the same. Its colors, however, weren't so simple to determine. I'm sorry, did I say black? I meant blue—no, dark blue. Isn't that called navy blue? Wait, what am I talking about? It's clearly green-yellowish?

I felt my legs give to a strange weight, and Alexandria grabbed me under the shoulder. "James, what is it?" She asked, and I sensed worry.

"What you mean, aren't you feeling it? Just me?" I had my hand over my forehead and I felt it warm. The feeling of sickness definitely increased when I gazed again at the mysterious container in front of me.

I heard some commotion behind me, but I was too distracted initially to pay attention. That was when suddenly a new pair of hands found their way to my cheeks, and my eyes found Panacea. From where the fuck did she come from?

"So, what's wrong?" The voice was male… Armsmaster?

"It's what we discussed, again!" Panacea was distressed, but fortunately, I started feeling better.

"Gentlemen, ladies, what's the problem?" who was this?

"S-s-s-sir! I'm not sure!"

"Sir, it is not safe for you to be this close—"

"Most things in life aren't really safe, Chevalier. The boy and the creature have been cleared from any biohazard danger. Is he ready or not to board the IC?"

I turned to see who we were talking too. My eyes, who had lost their focus, were returning to me, and I finally managed to make out the military man in a uniform. He was in his forties, fifties maybe. Difficult to say. He was in good shape despite the greying hair, and he was also quite tall.

"I apologize, you are?" I said, extending my hand.

He shook it. "General Hammock, boy. I take it you are James Flores?"

I nodded.

"Good, let me explain what happens now. Now, we are in a bit of time crunch, so sorry for hurrying you if it feels like. Because we are." I nodded, and the General didn't skip a beat as he pointed towards the containers. "The IC is divided in two rooms. Supposedly, it blocks all parahuman powers while allowing our teams to measure every god damn useful observable. This unit allows two parahumans to be observed, but guess what, Nilbog's monsters claims he can communicate with you anyway. Plan is to get you inside, while the creature is on the other side, and observe every single particle while supposedly, he shows you proof that Nilbog can teach about how to terminate Leviathan, permanently. Did I lose you anywhere?"

"No, sir." I assured him, and the man raised his hand, striking his palm on my back and he got closer to me.

"How you feeling, boy?"

"I'm okay, sir."

"So, what was that just now?" He asked me immediately. "You almost fainted right there in front of our eyes, and you seemed perfectly fine inside the interrogation room."

I breathed in. "It's just a lot to take in. I'm good to go inside, sir."

"Are you really?" He wondered, arms crossed. "You seem a bit green."

"I just don't go out very much into the sunlight… sir."

Whatever I had just felt, it had been extremely worrying, but I didn't want them to know what I thought. I knew, somehow I knew by a strange instinct, that the sudden sickness had been cause by whatever Nilbog sent, that awaited me inside this large container. But that mattered no longer, because in these brief minutes between the interrogation room and the walk to the hangar, I had made up my mind I could very well be my sister's killer. It had actually sank, a weight against my heart.

In parallel, thought of killing Leviathan was extremely appealing. Of course, for he could be as responsible as I was. If Nilbog could teach me how to kill Leviathan permanently… well, could he? I wanted to find out.

So, just put me inside the goddamn 'IC', whatever that is supposed to mean.

"I'm ready to go, sir!" I exclaimed again, nodding at the same time for emphasis.

Panacea placed a hand on my neck and she gave Armsmaster, Alexandria, and the general a nod. "He seems fine, for now."

General Hammock's words echoed. "Let him in."

The door to the container depressurized with a loud and prolonged whistle, finally opening with me at its doorsteps. I didn't look back before entering.

Inside, I found a large room with an extremely dim light. It was probably colored in white, but the purplish led painted it pink. Once I reached the center, the outside door closed, and afterwards, two more layers came out of the wall, sealing me completely from the outside world.

"James, do you hear us?" the voice I heard was slightly distorted by the digital medium, but the words were clear enough.

"Yeah, I hear." I confirmed.

"Ready to start?"

I nodded.

From one of the wall, the wall broke in half, opening up in a large window. I didn't need to get close to know the glass was thick. By looking at the borders of the window, it seemed like it had at least 6 inches. Probably wasn't normal glass too, but I didn't waste more time thinking about the window.

There was a creature on the other side, in a room much like mine. It had its legs crossed, and I realized they looked amphibious. Taking into account the rest of the body, which was barely covered by rags, Nilbog's envoy seemed to be a humanoid frog, but with its mouth crooked instead of straight, ending slightly lower than when it began.

The thing croaked.

 _Take a sit._

"Why?"

It croaked again.

 _To show you._

I looked around, that strange voice ringing inside my head without coming from any direction. I felt like I didn't need my ears to hear it.

"James, did you speak with it?"

"You didn't hear it? I asked, my eyes still on the thing. It had large irises, but they didn't seem to be looking at me, or anything at all. It's like the creature is staring at opposite directions, eyes unfocused.

"We heard it croak. What did you hear?"

My heart started beating faster, and louder. I took a sit on the cold floor, crossing my legs just like the frog.

"James?" I heard the speaker again.

The frog closed its eyes and placed its arms over its knees. I did the same.

I heard two croaks.

 _Your heart, calm it. Calm it so you can see._

The speaker went on again, but I was too distracted to register its words.

My heart slowed down, but it kept itself loud. I could hear each beat, each thud against my ribcage which shook in response.

And then I felt myself reaching the beyond. A sensation unequal to all others. As my body lost all its physicality, the concrete world melted away from my surroundings. A pallet of colors invaded and washed away my thoughts, and from my very own skull, my attention was kidnapped to a new world, a different age. As a newborn turtle that leaves the beach and joins the ocean for the first time, I knew I was gazing into my future, and such future was also a mirror of my past.

Four nations share a globe. They've been guided for thousands of years by an entity beyond comprehension in order to coexist permanently. From the memories of Wan, the first of us, I travelled and witnessed my past lives. So many names, so many individuals, so many experiences, so many stories. I couldn't comprehend most of it immediately, and I didn't dare to say that one day everything would make sense. To watch a collection of lives in such a cruel and invasive way gave neither the right to see, nor the right to understand, and I didn't fight it. I let it go, let it reach the end of roll, passing by the latest of my kind, but this I could not ignore as well as the others.

Roku, an Avatar whose mercy and friendship was abused, and his indecisiveness to act led the world through a world war.

Aang, an Avatar whose existence became as much as a curse as it was a miracle. When young, saved the world, but as he got old, his conservative and traditional views blinded him from the problems that were to be.

Finally, Korra, whose life and duty was dedicated to a new world order, where the Avatar was impotent and at the mercy of a rising industrial society, which was both increasingly individualist and nationalist. All the while keeping the material and spiritual worlds in balance, against the worst odds if necessary.

Well, it wasn't over yet. It actually ended with memories of my life—of my last 18 years: My mother taking care of me and of my sister as a single parent. My father teaching me how to ride a bike when I was four in the streets of Mexico. Of my uncle, arriving home with his shirt red of spilled blood and voice full of terror. The first day my sister went to school with me. My mother's second marriage. My stepfather helping me with my exams. Of myself working as in my first internship. Leviathan, and seeing my sister for the last time.

Somehow, in this space between spaces, I saw myself standing as if the air was enough to support my weight, and right besides me was Korra. She had tears in her eyes, just like me, albeit for different reasons.

Her hands were cupped over her mouth, and she muttered between them quiet, timid hiccups, "I thought—I thought I had lost it."

And then everything turned dark. I realized we had returned to the special containment room, Korra standing right besides me while I was sitting on the floor, my legs crossed.

A croak.

 _Do you see?_

I looked at Korra, and though her eyes were wet, full of emotion, they were still indecipherable.

"Ok." I breathed out, my voice shaken but under control, "I'm coming, Nilbog."

* * *

"Nilbog allows two escorts. Obviously, they will have to agree, but for now, who are you thinking of?"

I sighed. "I suppose the risk is to high for me to take Alexandria."

I received a nod, "If anything goes awry, it would be indeed too much to lose her."

I acquiesced. No one wanted to risk a member of the triumvirate in a suicide mission. It made sense, and it was no problem. I had another candidate. "Armsmaster. He's fought the guy before." I couldn't read his face, and at his silence, I continued, "And Skitter. Definitely Skitter."

* * *

A/N: I understand this small chapter isn't exactly tasty, but I didn't want you guys to wait anymore for something I had already written. At least you get a sneak peak at what's coming. Next chapter comes in the next three weeks. Thanks for the reviews.


	6. Ep1 Pt3: Rise of The Band

**Episode I: The Road to El Dorado**

 **Part 3: Rise of The Band**

* * *

"I really appreciate you helping me get some fresh air." I told Armsmaster, who walked besides in full armor as I buttoned up the warm coat I had been borrowed.

Draw a line cutting the city in half that ends in the middle of the bay, perpendicular to the coast line. Along that line, go a kilometer and a half in and draw a point. That's where Leviathan was frozen. Use that point as the center of to circles, the first with a radius of about 2km, and the second around 3km. The inner region was being referred to as 'Center Not', while the surroundings (area between the circles) were the 'Coast'. Absolutely no one but those with the highest security clearances were allowed inside Center Not. Inside the Coast, though, a large military encampment took place, completely isolating the inner region.

A blockade right in the middle of the city had taken place in order to make sure no one could interfere with Leviathan. A No-Fly Zone had been established over Brockton Bay too, to reinforce their efforts. High Command, and by that, I mean the Dept. of Security had completely taken control of Brockton Bay over the time I had slept. Every single communication was intercepted by numerous groups in the name of security. We had the NSA and CIA on every fucking corner, since they had in the span of days installed a net of cameras and security check points through the streets.

However, that added security brought a lot of annoyances. Help for those in need was going slower than it should. Food, medicine—really, any form of supplies took a long while to get to those who were depending on it, and the media had made sure to complain. The government was having none of it, and the rest of the country, and world, didn't really give a fuck. I couldn't really fault them. With Nilbog's threat that Leviathan could escape in a matter of weeks, the government, the army, and the intelligence agencies were running around the clock in order to make sure Leviathan stayed put where he was, and the world would thank for one less Endbringer free in the planet.

Naturally, as I was quite in the spotlight and would soon embark to my own end, I was finding myself with trouble to even breath. I woke up yesterday, and since then, I was put to questioning, put in a container with a manfrog, tripped through my past lives, put through more rounds of questioning, and ran a series of tests to confirm my physical health and capabilities. After that long day, I had asked the higherups if it was possible for me to leave the quarters and stretch my legs. I was going on a suicide mission on a couple of days after all, and enjoying what could be my last hours alive wasn't really an unreasonable request. Even less so when I was risking everything to save billions of people.

I didn't have an easy time convincing them though, and ultimately, Armsmaster had been the one to decide matters. He took my side, and since he had done so, the higherups decided he would be the one to overview and escort my relaxing walk. I could sense a bit of animosity between the parties, and I wasn't sure why. I mean, the PRT heroes were clearly stressed after having their entire chain of command and routine broken apart by the government and the army, but it was even worse when it came to Armsmaster. He wasn't just mistreated on by army, the PRT too seemed to be having a bit of a issue with him.

"No problem." He answered simply, and I noticed his voice wasn't being modulated. It still sounded like a computer, but it wasn't toneless. You know? I think he had something more to say, but I didn't press for it right now.

We kept walking along the rubble. The street we were one was once wide. It had two traffic lanes for each way and comfortable sidewalk for pedestrians, but now, after Leviathan, the leftovers of the battle blocked much of the path. Any car would have to zigzag, and it would surely be enough time for a driver to get sick. That also meant that as I was walking, I couldn't really shut my brain off and follow along automatically. I actually had to pay attention on where I was stepping. It was definitely not an ideal scenario, made worse by the thin layer of snow which hid some of the debris.

"You know what would be good?" I kept looking forward, my steps careful, taking in the details of a place whose look was completely out of a warzone. "The Boardwalk on a Tuesday afternoon, right after lunch. It's empty then. Ever been there at that time?"

There was a few seconds of silence before Armsmaster said anything. "Yeah. A few times, but it has been a while. It is nice, and better even when the sun is out but the wind manages to cool you just enough."

I nodded. "Definitely." I would welcome the sun at any time since I hated snow, but it's not like I had a problem with the temperature if it kept Leviathan one more day restrained. We kept going for a while after that, and we kept ourselves to the Coast. They didn't even wang me inside Center Not, fearing I wouldn't control my powers and somehow sabotage the prison I had left Leviathan in. Soldiers would pass by in trucks and cars as they did their patrols. A couple of Blackhawks, or what looked like them, also passed over low. With most of the high buildings reduced to rubble, they weren't really worried about crashing into one.

"You didn't seem bothered by the fact they had you walk with me." I shared my observations, keeping an eye attentive to Armsmaster posture. "Even though everyone was talking about me like taking a dog for a walk."

"I was curious about you." Armsmaster told me, not missing a step as we walked side by side. "You have a lot of power Mr. Flores."

I smiled cheekily. "Envious?"

Armsmaster didn't bite the way I thought. Instead, he simply confessed, "Which hero would be? But most of all, I'm worried."

I nodded, stopping my steps in the middle of the empty road. "I am too. There are better people out there than me."

"Nevertheless, it's you who can do these things. No one else." Armsmaster pressed as he stopped his steps too.

I started walking, "Unfortunately."

"Is this about Nilbog?" He wondered. "Are you afraid?"

"Of course I'm afraid, but that's not what this is really about." I tried to explain, but my brain wasn't doing a good job at choosing the right words. I tried to form sentences in my head, but quickly threw them at the back of my head just as quickly as I came up with them. The tinker besides me, fortunately, kept himself silent, letting me think. Eventually, I managed to find an acceptable start. "Even though I've lost everything—my family, friends, life—even though the gain is so ridiculous, to kill an Endbringer, I just… don't want to risk my life. I don't want to die."

This time, Armsmaster was the one to stop first. "That's okay. That's the fear that keeps us alive. You gotta remember, kid, that you can always live to fight another day. If you die, then your legacy is sealed up. What you've done, it's done. What you haven't, never will."

I shook my head. I understood him, but I had the feeling he didn't understand me. I was no hero after all. "But if that fear stops you from acting, what is it good for?"

The hero shrugged. "Take the specific action of stopping that from happening. When I'm tinkering, numerous concepts go through my head, but only those which I work to make real ever become more than just a blueprint. If something is failing, isolate the problem and fix it."

I put a hand under my chin, "How do you fix cowardice?"

I hadn't been keeping track of where my and Armsmaster eyes had been looking, but after that question of mine, we didn't take stop gazing into each other. I couldn't see his eyes through his mask though, but I felt them for sure. He was judging me for those words. For a moment, I was worried Armsmaster had been somewhat offended by it since I may not have phrased it properly, but he did seem to be thinking over it seriously. After a few seconds, he sighed and turned his face to watch another Blackhawk to pass by.

"Only recently I've really started to think about the people I've been fighting to put behind bars." The tinker confessed, and his voice seemed to be carrying some embarrassment, "One thing I've noticed is that, between heroes and villains, the difference that separates those who will see justice through the bitterest end from those who fight against the noble action is a kind of inspiration. It is one that you can only gain from seeing and understanding the end of your actions. But if thinking about others isn't enough to make someone move, Mr. Flores, I would ask them if at least they can move for their own interest. That's the first step."

I appreciated that he kept the third person, even though I didn't feel like I deserved. People looked at me with unreserved hope for something I couldn't really own up to. Korra had done it, not me. I had ben an instrument, and she had been the actor. She had taken action, not James Flores. If people really knew the sham I was, they wouldn't bat an eye at me. Oh, this reminded me:

"What were you curious about me?" I asked the hero besides me.

He didn't miss a beat. "I was curious about the man I'm coming to hell with."

I rose my eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"Actually, El Dorado." He corrected himself. "That's the codename we are using for safety to refer to Ellisburg. James, I want you to recommend my name as your escort."

"Why?"

"Because I'm still a hero," he told me, his voice full of vigor, "and the only cape whose escaped that monster alive. I should go. I have to."

"I… don't think I have any problems with that," his reasoning seemed sound, but incomplete. There was something I was missing, a key piece of information that was relevant, and yet I was ignorant of it. "Armsmaster," I started realizing something wasn't right. "Did you help me isolate myself so we could have this conversation in private?"

He nodded. "Yes." He answered immediately. Well, he was honest at least, and he continued after he understood I was waiting for some insight on why. "I made a mistake during the fight against Leviathan. I was complacent, and my prejudices blinded me a little. More than it is acceptable—"

"Do I have to worry about anything? I mean—are you worried about compensating for anything, or can I trust you completely to accomplish your duty, that you have your eyes in this mission—in this objective only?", and I added shortly at the end, "Which is coming back alive, by the way. Just saying to make sure we have the same priorities."

"I can guarantee you that will be the case." The tinker answered resolutely.

* * *

"What you mean with 'the triumvirate isn't available'?!" I asked louder than I intended. Actually, it was just a loud as I wanted. I was furious. "You don't actually think we are coming back at all!"

I was in General Hammock's office together with the man himself and the PRT National Director, Ms. Costa-Brown. Here, I where supposedly receiving a rooster of approved options to take with myself to Ellisburg, along with a list of the most optimal and safe combinations in order to improve security along the trip. I mean, that's what is was supposed to mean, but no matter how I looked, I couldn't help thinking I would be safest with the triumvirate.

Unless, they don't think this will be successful in the first place.

"Until this day, we are not fully aware of the extent of Nilbog's powers Mr. Flores." The general explained from behind his desk, "We cannot take a risk such as this. Triumvirate may have become synonymous with invincibility or supreme adaptability, but as always, powers do have their weaknesses. Brute force, though attractive, isn't enough to solve al problems, and certainly not what's required in a diplomatic mission."

I facepalmed in disbelief, "This is the most unamerican thing I've ever heard from the military."

"The General is right, Mr. Flores." The woman in the room spoke, her voice less harsh than the general's, "There's an inherent risk to this mission that does not necessarily need to be taken. This is not about taking Nilbog down, that's not a can of worms that we need to open right now. It's about getting in, and not even stealthily, following the rules Nilbog sets, and leaving. That's all. There's little reason for Nilbog to put any of you in danger. In fact, he can only gain from helping you, and he can gain a lot if he behaves."

I pinched my nose. "You are trusting a madman to be reasonable."

"Nilbog is unstable, but capable.' The general interjected after sipping a cup of coffee. I think it was coffee, since the smell was pretty strong inside his office. "Nilbog's smart, and he's kept for himself after all these years. He wouldn't have come out and reminded us of his existence if he didn't have enough to gain. And the best out of this, is that he's expressively guaranteed your safety—"

I raised a hand as a reflex, like I was back in class arguing with a professor, "He's not guaranteed the safety of my escort. Wouldn't I need people who can take a punch?"

Neither the general or the PRT director spoke immediately, and when they did, Costa-Brown beat Hammock to the beat, "It is not clear Nilbog's limitations. A worst-case scenario where he can hurt the triumvirate still exists. We can't allow that."

"And what does Alexandria have to say about this?" I spat. "She was right there with me fighting tooth and nail against Leviathan. Is she fine with this?"

For a second, I could swear Costa-brown had flinched, but when my eyes came back to her, I saw her pristine posture and realized that had to be impossible. "Her hands are tied in this matter." The PRT director told me.

I shook my head. "Fuck you." I said with no strength at all. "I'm putting myself out there in a way no one here would dare. Like being stuck in a cage with a lion, and I have no idea when was the last time the lion had lunch."

"And you have no idea how thankful we are." General Hammock tried to appease me, but I wasn't feeling it.

"Sure. You know, I pay attention to people. I might be young, be a kid in your eyes. After all, that's all you call me. Kid this, kid that-but that's okay. I get it. But I also get that since I met Nilbog's messenger, you've been looking at me like I'm one of his monsters." I was fuming.

From what I had heard, no one could make sense of hat had happened inside that closed container. Apparently, the data made no sense at all, and I had no proof of my short trip through an interdimensional outer world. It's like nothing had happened, so imagine their surprise when I told them I wanted to go to Ellisburg. At the end of the day, all they could muster is that somehow I had communicated with the creature, and although they had become hopeful with me accepting the mission, they had gotten just as suspicious.

And they hadn't said anything since I spilled my thoughts on the matter out loud. My patience was running thin.

"Can I take Armsmaster?" I asked dryly.

Costa-Brown was the one to answer, "Sure. Which duo are you thinking of? Chevalier? Dragon?" Perhaps—"

"I want Skitter. Definitely Skitter."

None of the adults were happy with my suggestion. The general sipped his coffee again, probably to help swallowing my suggestion. "If we hadn't just left a discussion where you were fighting to get a triumvirate on your escort, I would think you had a death wish."

I shook my finger as a negative, "She was the only one who stood with me against Leviathan. The only normal cape who actually had the fucking balls who remained in the fight—who didn't just let others handle the problem despite the clear difference in capacity." I was spearing my finger against my other palm with each sentence. "I understand, her powers are a bit shit, but she made it work. Through thick and thin, she fought her way out. Sure, she didn't have the firepower to actually have my back, but I know she would've tried. I trust her."

Costa-Brown sighed, "She's technically a villain."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I've asked around."

"Then you understand that her relationship with Armsmaster is, at best, strained, right?"

I shrugged, "And does it make a difference? We are up against Nilbog, but if everything goes alright, there's no need to go up against no one. No need to fight."

"None of them will accept." She pressed impatiently. "You don't even know if they will actually agree in going to Ellisburg at all. Armsmaster, I don't know if you—"

"He's gone there already." I interjected. "Yeah, I know, he told me. We've reached an agreement and he has accepted."

Costa-Brown cocked her head. "Does he expect having someone from the triumvirate with you both, as you did in the beginning of this meeting?"

I didn't answer immediately. "I will have to check." Well, I knew Armsmaster did expect such, but I wasn't going to tell her. I would just work it out with him somehow.

"Rebecca," the general said, and both of us snapped our heads to Hammock, "let him try. I would prefer having someone I trusted with a pistol, then an unknown with a machine gun."

"That's not how powers work!" she hissed.

The general merely crossed his arms and gave her a knowing smile. "I know."

Tense silent seconds passed by.

"So, where can I find Skitter?" I asked them.

Costa-Brown looked at me with tired eyes. "The girl has actually turned herself in."

My eyebrows went up. "What?"

"I haven't really looked into it very hard, but that's pretty much it. She is in a pretty bad state. She doesn't leave her cell, doesn't eat—that sort of stuff."

"Do we know why?"

These were the first Costa-Brown words related to skeeter that didn't dripped with skepticism, "Yeah, her father died. She doesn't have any family left." 

* * *

I took a look at Skitter's files, also know as Taylor Hebert. She had some adventures in the Undersiders—robbed a bank, crashed something like a fundraiser, the typical minor villain stuff. I remember the news about the bank. Having Panacea and Glory Girl both in a fight did sell newspapers after all. She hadn't really hurt anyone, and it sort of corroborated with the latest news: that she was trying to act as a spy between the PRT and the Undersiders.

And she had left the Hospital after intense arguing with Armsmaster. Her plan was outed in the process, she left, but come back after learning of her father's death. Must have been awkward now that I think about.

The PRT agent took me to her cell. The building was an older one, used before the PRT had its HQ over the water for some of its lower level villains in custody. It had been fortunately spared by Leviathan. Once I got to where I wanted, he opened the door, let me in, and closed it behind me.

Taylor was sitting in bed, back against the wall, and although her head was first pointing downwards, the moment the door closed behind me she looked up and our eyes met. I gotta say, talking with capes who didn't have a mask felt somewhat weird, even though I had no reason to feel that way. I hadn't spoken to many heroes after all.

"James." She muttered my name.

I raised a hand in a hello gesture. "Hope I'm not bothering you." She didn't say anything, so I kept going. "I did come here for a reason, but that can wait." I walked up to her bed with no hurry. "Can I sit?" She nodded and took my place almost on the other side of bed. "How you feeling?"

She cocked her head.

"I mean—I've read your file, so… I know. It's shitty." How was I supposed to talk about dead parents? I couldn't even speak about mine without tearing up. Oh, Taylor nodded, that's something. I pushed my luck, "You know, he would be very proud."

She kept eyeing me for a few seconds. "You are not very good at this, are you?"

Ouch. "Yeah. You got me."

"Why don't you tell me why you are really here?" she told me, and I felt the skepticism in her voice. This was dangerous. It was quite possible that she wasn't in the right state of mind to accept a suicide mission. That was just unacceptable.

But Armsmaster had given me the answer on how to approach this. Honestly, it wasn't very different from the real world, you know, where capes… aren't really part of your life. Honestly though, capes are still people, so of course this is familiar.

"I'm here because I believe in you." I did my best to sound honest, and I didn't have to make a lot of effort. I really did believe in her… to a degree.

She actually chuckled. "If I wanted a shitty inspirational video, I would've just watched Rocky again."

"I'm not even offended by that. That's a fun movie. But the point is, have much have you heard about Nilbog?"

She frowned. "The lunatic from upstate New York?"

I nodded. "There's only one. So, he's invited me over to his house for a tea party."

She squeezed her eyes, and I saw she was confused.

I actually explained this time. "He wants to teach me how to permanently destroy Leviathan."

"Why doesn't he do it himself?"

I shrugged. "We don't know. Apparently, his powers are still a bit of a mystery. We don't know his strength and weaknesses as well as other S Threats."

"OK," she nodded, "What does that have to do with…"

"He told me I can take two escorts, if that made me feel safer." A small lightbulb turned on over my head. "Know that I think about it, I could probably take only one, but still. If I can take two—"

Taylor rose her hands. "Wait—you want me to go with you?"

I bit my tongue and nodded. "I trust you. I understand that there are people who disagree with me, but I see you as a hero. You were there fighting against an Endbringer with me and Alexandria. God, how old are you?"

She hesitated, "Fifteen."

"Look at that," I exclaimed, "not even sixteen and you've faced Leviathan. Even survived to tell the tale—"

"Do you actually think, had my father known the truth, he would be proud of me?" She asked me suddenly, bringing forward a matter from the beginning of our conversation. This matter was clearly important, and I could relate.

I nodded firmly. "Without a shred of doubt."

"I," she had difficulty to start, "I—I wasn't a hero while he was alive, and—" I nodded, but maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, since she didn't continue her trail of thought.

"Ok, you should know, before considering, that Armsmaster is the other escort." She wrinkled her nose. Yeah, she didn't like that one bit. "I'm aware of the latest happenings, but you need to know that Armsmaster is one of the few capes who's survived Nilbog. If we ever find ourselves in danger, which again, should be improbable, he could be instrumental."

"It seems to me that I'm the one who doesn't fit the profile then." Taylor concluded. "Armsmaster is more important for the mission than I am, and I could bring instability that could be critical."

"Yeah…" I admitted, but held on. I knew what to say. "But you are missing an important factor. How much of a hero someone is: having you on my back gives me peace of mind. At the end of the day, isn't knowing I have someone brave behind me what makes me feel safe, or anyone for that matter? You fought against that Endbringer ready for worst. Hell, you had only Alexandria and myself to protect you from any collateral damage, and I'm sure both of us were quite unreliable. But you stuck by, and you made those bugs work."

I remember enough of the battle to say that. I could be exaggerating, just a little, but it was within a believable range for my brain. Unfortunately, I couldn't prod a stronger response from her. Instead, she threw me this simple question.

"Is Armsmaster okay with this?"

"Yeah." I gave her a thumbs up and a smile.

She didn't seem very convinced, but she didn't press on.

I stood up from her bed. "I know this is a bit rushed, but you have until tonight, preferably by 11pm to send me an answer. The guards will help you with that."

The guard on the other side saw me approaching the door of the cell. He was unlocking it as Taylor sent me one last question, her voice echoing against her empty walls

"If you were in my place…" her voice was uncertain, "…done the things I did. Say it your parents found out today, what would they think?"

I sighed. "Today? I don't know. Leviathan drowned them."

Alright, now I had to get a handle on Armsmaster and I prayed for him to go along with the slight changes. 

* * *

01/29/19

A/N: Did I say three weeks? Ops, I meant the next day. Had the time and the ideas, so here you go. This time though, don't expect a chapter in a while. Those three weeks actually mean something this time. Also, sneak peak wasn't exactly the real thing. Not going give you the whole thing before the actual chapter, right?

Note on Nilbog: as you have gotten to know, Nilbog's powers here are different that in the original Worm. You may have deduced that that he can affect not only the material world, but the spiritual world too to create minions with spiritual connections. This will be explained later, and his power does have limitations on what it can do and can't. Nevertheless, compared to cannon version, he is more dangerous and versatile. Armsmaster and Piggot are still part of the leftovers, despite there being differences in Nilbog's abilities. This has also changed slightly how bad things went after he triggered and wiped off Ellisburg. Spoiler, it made things worse, enough that sending the triumvirate isn't clearly a good course of action. Of course, there are other factors that impede the triumvirate from going to Ellisburg, but they haven't been revealed yet, and neither are close enough to mention them in a a/n.

I'm sure people are trying to figure out how all the gangs in Brockton Bay are holding up after Leviathan and the intervention of the army and federal government. Thing is, with Leviathan still in the city and the entire world judging Brockton Bay to not fuck up a chance to get rid of an Endbringer, the big players are silent. There's crime from the gangs, but the powerful players are in the background. No one wants to be the one guilty of freeing Leviathan after all. Can you imagine? There are also rumors going around that any disruption of the security around the city will instantly get you a kill order for putting everyone at risk. So, villains are biding their time, but not just waiting still. They are certainly readying themselves.


	7. Ep1 Pt4: Overlooking

**Episode I: The Road to El Dorado**

 **Part 4: Overlooking - 19.02.2018**

* * *

It has been four days since the 'Iceberg'. That's how the military and PRT personnel referred to the day I fought Leviathan and froze him in a giant block of ice. Brockton Bay was also still suffering from temperatures under zero. Snow kept pouring over the night, with temperatures dropping as far as five to zero degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, the temperature rose to almost thirty degrees when the sun was out, which made living slightly more bearable.

Needless to say, the PRT base, as well as most of the Bay's infrastructure, wasn't ready to face these climate conditions. Although you could survive the night with a few heaters and enough sheets (or one good edredon), leaving the bed was much harder. There were still few winter clothes available to supply everyone, and civilians had been given priority over common staff, even if they are in the army or PRT. Soldiers, however, were fully geared. At least, we had a few tinkers such as Armsmaster and Kid Win doing what they could to help with better heating systems, as well as someone called Dragon.

However, there was one good way to heat yourself up I had uncovered recently. It had been one of the few positive outcomes of being obligated to spend every day since I woke up in the PRT training arena. I have been sweating myself hours on end in the hopes of either getting a response from my powers, or at least to prepare me a bit before venturing into Nilbog's self-proclaimed Kingdom.

Funny thing is that I hadn't liked the idea much in the beginning. I wasn't exactly athletic, and I was still feeling terrible from just the general state of my life. My nights would be spent in nostalgia of simpler and happier times, which was pretty much the last ten years of my life until the Iceberg. However, I had found comfort in tiring the crap out of myself, which also helped in getting my sleep was increasingly deeper. My nightmares of last night were already much better than the first.

And here I was, in the training arena in a designated corner where no one else could interfere, unless specifically allowed. At first, I there had been a bit of a crowd the first time I had set foot in here, but now it was empty. After three days, everyone here must know already that my powers aren't… activated on command, per say. That's right. Three days of 'training', and nothing. Korra moved buildings, froze entire water deposits under the city, and had an unparallel control over metal structures. Well, at least I had been thought basic first-aid in the meantime.

Power-related, however, I couldn't do anything. I tried to place my footing as had in some of my memories, and emulated her posture as well as I could, but there was something missing. Actually, that is an understatement. There was a lot missing. Looking back at the few interactions I had with her, it was clear that the both of us had very different sets, not just of belief, but of knowledge. I knew nothing I should know from her point of view, and that was very worrying.

Knowledge, or a fact to be more specific, if true, must be so in any frame of reference. I wondered during my past night, for a brief second when I allowed myself to dwell in my fears, that perhaps the rules between our universes were sufficiently different that I wouldn't be able to control the elements as she did. Of course, there were some holes there. According to her, I did fit her reality of myself being her future life, and I did speak with a person who claimed to be me before I was born, but what if that's where the similarities stopped? What if I was dependent on her to use my abilities? What if, by myself, I was useless?

I had seen a glimpse of her world, and spirituality was widely understood as not just a philosophical concept, but as a concrete part of life. Here, on my Earth, it was but treated as part of a backwater group of dead protosciences, at best. At worst, it was just stuff monks who lived in mountains in poverty held on to give meaning to their lives. A cruel depiction, something I would never say out loud, but nevertheless real for most people in the West, as well as to a lot in Asia.

What if spirituality in my planet wasn't able to be expressed as Korra's is able? Her person was definitely capable, but if souls are truly a thing, than mine could very well be bottlenecking my powers. An analogy for my worries would be that no matter good a wine can be, serve it in a trash can and drink from it, and you will probably vomit. I was the trash can, and Korra (or Raava) was the wine. Follow my point?

I shook my head. These sorts of thoughts were unproductive during my physical sessions, and I forced them out by focusing on my memories. I visualized Korra's stance as she sank herself and Taylor down into the dirt in order to feel the water deposits. The way she had bent her knees and lowered the center of gravity of my body. How her arms, or mine, had been both rigid and flexible as she controlled every inch of rock and dirt that she needed. I closed my eyes.

"I see you are still valiantly trying." I heard his voice from behind, recognizing it to be Armsmaster's modulated tone. Still, I didn't face him, focused as I had managed to become.

I searched within me for any specter of an answer, for any source of inspiration that could be the driving force that would allow me to uncover Korra's technique.

"We have to talk." Armsmaster continued.

Oh boy, I knew what this was about, and knowing it made me loose whatever cool I had gathered. Losing my form, I simply turned to him. He was armored just as always, completely covered by armor.

I made my best to anticipate him. "I did try to look for you afterwards, but you were never in base."

"I know." A simple, and therefore surprising answer. "It doesn't change the fact we need to put things in order."

I nodded, but still, there were better places to talk. "Isn't there a better time?"

"From now on, not with due privacy."

I understood what he meant. Living under the management of the army and government was certainly suffocating, and whatever Armsmaster wanted to tell me was probably something he didn't want others to hear. We were still pretty much two unknowns to each other, and I doubted he trusted me, but since we were together on an improbable mission, we were bound to need to talk privately about some things.

"Do you understand that exchanging Alexandria for Skitter isn't exactly the soundest of the arrangements?" he asked me, and I believe he didn't expected an immediate answer from me.

Well, I had been wanting to talk to him before about this, so it's not like I was unprepared.

"I perfectly do." I told him firmly, my eyes on his visor.

I think he sighed, since his head was entirely covered by his helmet. "You didn't even look for other parahumans. I know the Triumvirate is unavailable, but the PRT has a good collection of capable heroes that you simply skipped. What's the idea, James?"

Before I answered, I saw a few of cadets on the other side of the arena staring at us. The feeling was uncomfortable, and I tried to resume my form from before Armsmaster had arrived as I answered him. I think Armsmaster realized what had happened, since the volume of his voice came substantially lower afterwards.

"We are not going to fight Nilbog, and after being refused Alexandria, I realized that wasn't a bad thing." I explained as I bent my arms just as Korra did, "By not bringing the big cannons, there's less of a chance of antagonizing him. He also gains nothing by capturing a girl with no family, and probably no friends. Furthermore, due to her recent status of a villain, she is literally worthless to him as a hostage. No one in the PRT would give a damn if she would become a casualty."

Armsmaster took his time, and I felt like my answer hadn't been what he expected. "Is that really what you think?"

His toneless question made it hard for me to understand his thoughts. Was he disappointed at how cold I had just been? Was he relieved that I was actually thinking about the mission and its success? The more I dwelled on those questions, the more seconds passed before I answered his inquire, the more my brain thought about what I, James thought.

No. I didn't think she was just a pawn. In fact, I strongly opposed that view.

"What I just said is a worst-case scenario. I do think of her as capable. She was the only person who stood with me against Leviathan, after many had given up, and her powers are fucking bug control. And yet, she stood her ground and used her abilities as best as she could. At the very least, she is resourceful—"

"Which is exactly why she was named 'Skitter'." Armsmaster interjected, and if not for the modulated voice, I know he would sound a lot less calm. "I was actually slightly relieved at how pragmatic your answer had been before, even if by many considered cold and harsh. But you trust her, and that is dangerous, James. You can't make that mistake. There's no proof whatsoever of the kind of person she really is outside of the Undersiders. Even if she started as a spy, by the end of her supposed mission, you can't know if she is the same as the girl she had been before."

I shook my head. "That's not on what I'm banking."

"Excuse me?"

"She was ready to give her life to destroy Leviathan, just like many have been before. No matter her status or predisposition, whether she is a hero or a villain, she was ready to sacrifice herself to kill that monster. Nilbog isn't a new situation with different variables. We can still predict her. This is still about killing Leviathan, and therefore, if she was ready to sacrifice herself before, I see no reason for her to change her behavior now."

"Really? No reason?" He asked me, and I blinked. "She fought Leviathan believing she was protecting her father. Now he is dead. Tell me, James, why do you think she has accepted?" I didn't answer him. "The girl wants revenge, and I'm afraid that she might do something absolutely stupid that could jeopardize the mission. She had done it before, after all."

I felt silly. That was a sizable hole in my reasoning. Nevertheless, now that I thought about it, it did beg one question. "If you are worried about her, then how come you aren't worried about me going for the same reason?"

Armsmaster didn't even hesitate. "Because you are craven, James, which is to be expected from most people who go through what you've gone. You may have fooled yourself, but I and everyone else here knows you are forcing yourself because everyone expects you to at least try. If you can really kill Leviathan, it would be inexcusable to run away. But if you had your way, if Nilbog had never told us about your so-called potential, you wouldn't be here if you could. During the first day, you were high on your emotions, and meeting Nilbog's envoy was also a stressful experience. However, since then, you've grown quieter and increasingly uncomfortable. I'm sure you are angry with life, but your current way of showing it is through resignation.

"You've done little." Armsmaster shook his head, "You follow the workouts not for the mission, but to escape from reality. It's obvious that you can't use your powers, and yet, here you are wasting time instead of practicing on something useful. I know you refused to take lessons on firearms, James. Your so-called attempts at finding me are equally lacking in any purpose. You've looked for me exactly during my patrol shifts.

"Do you understand the sort of outlook you are giving to everyone else around you? You are desperate to have someone wake you from reality, and tell you it was just a bad dream. You have been begging me to come here, tell you that I found Skitter unacceptable, that I was out, and eventually, you probably hoped they would simply cancel the mission since no one wants to risk their heads for a kid that, for all effects, is probably powerless."

I looked away. Maybe, just maybe, I hoped for someone to just call an end to this bullshit just like Armsmaster had spelled out. I mean, I couldn't really be the one to give up, right? Because if I had a key to destroy Leviathan, than I had to try. I disagreed with Armsmaster, that I was doing this merely for something like pressure from others. I did want some sort of revenge on Leviathan, but as the nights passed, my nightmares reminded me of the terror I felt during the battle. I knew I had a responsibility to face the Endbringer again, since my life was but a spec of dust in the world. Billions of lives were more important than just mine by pure quantity. I just didn't get a hold of myself to voice that because my head was ringing with a truth I did agree with.

I was a coward. I wasn't a hero and I had told Korra that much. It was a fault I was painfully aware. During the whole fight with Leviathan, if Korra had given me even the slightest control over myself, I would've run away.

"You are not the first kid I work with, and definitely not the first civilian." Armsmaster said, just adding salt to the wound. And I couldn't really refute him. I didn't have the strength. "No one expects much from you right now, kid."

"Why did you offer yourself, then?" I mumbled.

"If Nilbog really is telling the truth, even for a slim chance, then I can't help but do my best to see this through the end. On the way, of course, this does helps me get back at some wrongs I committed. The point is, you don't have to worry. Our interests align. I will bring you in and out of this nightmare in one piece, and for that I'm actually counting on you not getting in my way, so just stay still and behave. I will just ask you to not, in anyway, further sabotage this operation. Do you understand?"

I nodded once, words cluttered on my throat, but nothing came out. Armsmaster toneless voice only made me feel worse. What else was I supposed to do? I wanted to refute him, but his points were weighting over my shoulders. From his point of view, what had I done the past few days other than recruit a former villain with somewhat useless power?

"And just to be clear. I hope you are happy with Skitter on the team, because if anything happens to her… well, you were right about something. I and no one in the PRT couldn't give a damn. You, solely, are the mission. Bringing someone as inexperienced as her along is your doing. Congratulations."

The change of focus from me to someone else eased my chest, and finally I was able to get some words out of my chest. "At the end of the day, she chose to come. I didn't make her do it."

Armsmaster crossed his arms. I felt his exasperation, "Cut that line of thought, James. This is how this conversation began. She's in it for herself, and her inexperience is exactly what I'm warning you about. Don't trust her."

* * *

We made to depart at dawn of the sixth day after the Iceberg, and like every other day, it was cold as fuck. The first thing I did after waking up was take a shower, and I made sure to enjoy every second of what could be my last hot bath. I stood quiet under the falling water, which dripped from my head over to my shoulders. I watched the transparent liquid run over my skin, using its dance over the few curves a man's body has as a way to forget my stressful night. I had barely slept, and yet, I felt incredible awake.

It was even nostalgic. I had felt somewhat like this before one of my finals in Junior High School, which had been just last year. Funny how now I had a completely different reason, one that would be unbelievable to me back then.

I had mulled over during the last couple of days Armsmaster's words. They had hit a good number of points that I couldn't deny, but the more I went through them, the less I was particularly worried about his worries. I recognized that being a hero was a job, and just because you are putting your life on the line regularly, it doesn't make it acceptable to run risks that could be avoided. Furthermore, Armsmaster is, no matter what I might try to say, someone who's willing to come with me in this mess when no one else believes to be worth it. And then, from his point of view, after offering his hand to help me he sees me choosing Skitter, an action he believes to be monumentally stupid, and I understood him. I found myself agreeing that she couldn't be trusted like other heroes, even if she had been very noble during the fight against Leviathan. However, I couldn't stop wondering if Nilbog somehow knew that I would be tempted to trust someone to come with me. Was he betting on it? Was he aware of my willingness to trust a former villain?

Nilbog was a madman, but even madmen follow a certain reasoning. I had to trust that, or else this mission made absolutely no sense. He wanted to talk to me, teach me a way to kill one of the most powerful creatures of our time, and bringing heroes that could threaten him was a move too bold to risk. Something else that I had gone through was making sense of his offer to allow escorts. Reports believe that, inside his own Kingdom, Nilbog is probably untouchable. To allow me to bring any one, no matter how threatening, indicates a tremendous level of assurance and certainty about oneself.

But he never said anything about bringing someone powerful. Just someone that made me feel safe. Was this a test? I recognized that this trail of thought was dangerous, but I couldn't help it. He had told me to bring those I would feel safe with. Well, not specifically, but maybe he did mean it. Issue was, I understood Armsmaster. I could be making a mistake, and I would be on my guard around Taylor Hebert. She may have had my back before, but I didn't know her, and it was better to be safe than sorry.

And Nilbog, that man, if he could still be called as such, begged a series of questions. One that bothered many was how could Nilbog know of a way to destroy the Endbringers? How could he have hidden such an ability after so long? Why wait until now? And even though many would've preferred to dismiss the words of a lunatic, the fact that this lunatic is an S-Class threat made it impossible.

After the shower, I was taken to be dressed by the latest armor they had come up for me. The size wasn't exactly mine, but it was close enough. They had told me a good number of mumbo jumbo words about the capabilities of this suit, but all I knew was that it would protect me of blunt attacks of up to 16g times my body mass, and it would resist cuts from weapons almost as precise as Armsmaster's Halberd. I also had a helmet that would protect me of most poisonous gasses, thought it did seem much more like a motorbike helmet than proper tinker equipment. I couldn't come up with any of this shit though, so it's not like I could complain. I will take what I can, thank you very much.

The first of my escorts that I saw was Taylor. She wore her suit, the one she had used against Leviathan, though it seemed reinforced in the vital areas by the same materials on my armor. She hadn't put her mask yet, though.

I tried to smile, but that didn't work out due to my helmet. As I noticed her lack of response, I instead nodded, and she nodded back. Afterwards, both of us were directed to the garage, where two armored cars were waiting, along with a truck.

The trip was too quick, though that may have been my anxiety, which compressed time as my nervousness rose by leaps and bounds. I didn't share a word with the girl that had risked her life to help me, but neither did she. It was clear that both of us were in the edge. When I had finally managed to muster some will to open my mouth, to ask her why, in the end, she had accepted, we arrived.

We were at an airstrip in the outskirts of Brockton Bay, and although the sky already had a shade of light blue over the horizon, the sun still wasn't out. The landscape was covered in snow, thought the runway and taxiways were clean to allow traffic. The truck came to a full stop inside a hangar, and right in front of us on the outside, two helicopters already had their engines ready.

I set my feet on the ground, now out of the armored car, and made to one of the helicopters together with Taylor and some PRT/Army staff. There, I found the familiar face of General Hammock, Director Costa-Brown, as well as a couple of others, but only one I could recognize.

The woman on a suit. The same one from back in the day Armsmaster brought me from the Hospital. She had sat on the same car as us, but didn't say a word on our entire trip. Not like that meant anything, since no one spoke much back then. The fourth face, however, I had no idea who that was.

General Hammock placed a hand over my shoulder. "How you feeling boy?"

There was only one answer for that question. "Ready, sir."

The General nodded, looked over at Skitter, and finally, looked over our shoulders. I heard the heavy steps of an armored walk and I turned, finding Armsmaster equipped and ready, a halberd in his hands. I didn't really know what it was capable of, but I knew he had spent a good portion of his time optimizing it before our wonderful winter trip. His suit didn't seem like it had changed.

"Armsmaster. Good to see you." The General spoke.

"Likewise." The tinker answered.

"Rebecca, if you please." Hammock turned and faced the Director, who approached us immediately. She seemed slightly agitated.

"Lady and gentlemen," the director told the three of us, "Follow me into the Heli. You will be briefed during the trip."

As soon as the doors of the Helicopter closed, we were up in no time. The aircraft was divided into two compartments. The pilots were in the first, while Costa-Brown was sitting at one side on the second compartment and Armsmaster, Taylor and me were facing her on the other side.

"You will be dropped directly south from Nilbog's HQ, at the minimum distance he requested. Follow the road north and there's no mistake." The director started. "It is currently advisable to reach your target destination before 1500, since there's a snow storm incoming. If you fail to reach the 30 mile mark before 1200, it is advisable to stop at an abandoned complex around the 37 mile, which can serve as shelter for the night. You are to resume your trip the next day."

The fact that were going to walk 50 miles during a snowstorm wasn't a nice thought.

"How cold?" I asked.

Costa-Brown seemed unhappy with her answer herself. "Expect a max of 8 degrees today. The night will be around -5, however. Yours and Skitter's armor should protect you from hypothermia, but it will still be a cold night. The second helicopter is bringing a few supplies for you to make the night, if needed, more bearable. If you arrive at Nilbog still today, then follow his instructions at your discretion. It not exactly easy to plan in advance against that man." She said while she took out her phone and pressed a few clicks on her screen. "Armsmaster, you should've received a package."

The tinker didn't move for a second, probably analyzing whatever the Director had just delivered. "These are contingency plans. Wouldn't it have been better to give me this earlier? So I could've properly studied them?" His voice was clearly unmodulated, since his anger was obvious.

Director merely shrugged. "There's a spy among us, Armsmaster. Some plans here, for them to have even the slightest chance of making a difference, require complete ignorance from Nilbog related to a few holes in his defense."

There a short silence afterwards. A spying working for Nilbog had dire implications, and I think all three of us were caught off guard. Wait, was it okay for us to know that? And if so, why?

The next to speak was Skitter. She already had her mask, or better, a helmet, much like mine. "How do we know those are actual holes?"

The Director frowned. "We don't."

By the digital clock on my visor, it had taken us 50 minutes to reach our drop off point. By the time we arrived, the sun was already out but the sky was completely covered by thick and dark clouds.

The helicopters landed right before a checkpoint on a wide, only half used highway. One side, the abandoned, was white, while the other was wet thanks to the salt melting the snow. Made sense, since a large area around Ellisburg had been completely quarantined, and it wasn't in the interest of the soldiers to salt a place no one used. Sacks of sand and blocks of concrete helped in marking the divide between the 'in' and 'out', with two steel towers overlooking the area which was probably, from my ignorant guess, used by snipers. A couple of military cars, as well as a truck, were stationed there too. Further behind the barrier, two buildings had also been setup right over the concrete.

If I had to guess, the checkpoint had at least 20 soldiers around the visible infrastructure. I wondered for a second whether they had tunnels, before I was handed a large backpack. Costa-Brown informed us of our supplies. We had medical equipment, a few construction tools like wrenches, screws, aluminum rods, lighters, a couple of knifes, a spoon, and canned food. Taylor also got a large glass container with insects, specifically chosen for this mission by a few specialists. I didn't recognize most of the names, and the ones I did, I knew to be dangerous. The girl, however, seemed to know about every single species. As long as bug girl understood, we would be fine. Armsmaster had also received some electric equipment. I'm not sure what the tinker would get to do during the mission that he couldn't before, but better to be safe than sorry, right?

"James." I heard the director's voice, my eyes turning to her. She held a pistol in front of me by the gun barrel, handle turned towards me. "I know you didn't practice, but three days of training could hardly prepare you. Just don't point it to your escorts, or yourself, and you are good to go." She then turned the gun slightly, gesturing to certain parts of the pistol. "here you unlock or lock, up/down, keep your finger out of the trigger if you aren't ready to shoot, and only be ready to shoot when have your aim on you enemy. To reload, just do it like this. You have other two loaded magazines in your backpack."

Costa-Brown directed her gaze not just to me, but to Skitter as well. "Both of you are to obey Armsmaster's orders without questioning. Do you understand?"

Both of us nodded.

"We've had this conversation already Taylor, and I will ask you again: do you have any questions or concerns?"

I looked at Taylor, or Skitter, since she wore her costume fully. I saw the younger girl nod. "Nothing director."

"James," the director said next, "your gun is to be used expressively in self-defense. We believe you can follow those directions, reason why we are handing it to you. Can you confirm that?"

"Yes." I answered resolutely. I was sure of my answer, because the weight of that gun in my hands was too much. They knew I had an aversion to it and expected me to only pull it out if I really needed.

"Then I expect you two to fully understand ours and Armsmaster's instructions."

Finally, she exchanged one last look with Armsmaster. Words, though unspoken, were exchanged.

Now it was her turn to nod. "Very well. Good luck you three."

The gates were open, and we crossed the checkpoint. The snow felt thick under my boots, but walking wasn't a problem, at least not yet.

I looked over my shoulder after a good few steps and saw the towers getting progressively smaller. Eventually, we set into a formation, with Skitter a few steps ahead of us to my right. She had set some insects around us in a perimeter, and she was responsible for scouting ahead just in case, as well as keeping an eye on the forests around the highway. Armsmaster was on my left, closer to me than Skitter, but still also a couple of steps behind. They had a certain level of synchrony that made me suspect they had either been instructed and/or discussed amongst themselves on tactics. It had to be, for neither had said a word to each other for the whole day.

The tinker seemed to be walking alright, but Skitter seemed more visibly annoyed at the ice under her feet. I suppose neither of us were used to these conditions.

Looking at them besides me reminded me of the last time I had parahumans in the same position, and since such involves Leviathan, those weren't nice memories.

Hoping to forget that trail of thought, I looked down. Some parts of the asphalt weren't covered by snow, and you could see what was underneath all the white. The highway was clearly lacking in maintenance. There were already plants from within its cracks, and the paint had been erased by the weather.

Believe it or not, that much of our walk for the first couple of hours. An empty highway surrounded by untended forests, three individuals walking carefully but with purpose, and a carpet of ice as far as the eye could see.

* * *

AN: Follows discussion about the story. Has spoilers! (not many, but still…)

First, I guarantee you that Nilbog shows up next chapter. I wanted to get him in this one, but I reached 5k words before I got close enough. Don't want chapter getting to big. Scares away some readers. Since this story is already about an OC, I don't need to sabotage myself more than that.

Second, the conversation with Armsmaster may come to change. The big point I'm trying to make is the necessity James has of understanding his surroundings, how his actions impact those around, but I understand that it may feel out of place. James hasn't from his point of view behaved in a cowardly fashion. He has gone through a lot, and is still relatively standing despite all. Of course, we know him as a protagonist, so we have some high expectations for him that characters in the story don't, as well as a privileged point of view over his thoughts.

That, however, also hinders our perception of what is happening around us. James is biased towards himself, like everyone is to a certain point. He misses clues that, if we were watching a movie, some of us would pick up. Since I'm also not a good writer, including certain details without calling attention to them is a bit out of my reach. I do try, though.

Problem for James is, everyone in this story is stressed, borderline exploding. Something that I haven't been able to cover yet is how much friction there is going on between the PRT and the Army/Intelligence Agencies.

I've tried to hint at it with Costa-Brown having more screen time here than in any other worm fanfic (at least the average). This shouldn't be normal. Something I feel like is important to say too, which isn't spoilery, is that before talking with James, Armsmaster had a heated discussion with numerous officials, both from the government and from the PRT. He is one of the characters currently squeezed the most between the big factions due to his fuck up against Leviathan (announcing the death of parahumans before it actually happened).

Third, for those unsure: yes, Skitter and Armsmaster had their shouting match, albeit not the same as cannon. That is pretty much the last event in this story where I'm not making up something original.

I hope this gives you all some insight I couldn't find a way to yet insert in the story more drastically.


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